The Swiss mechanical and electrical engineering sectors were boosted by a significant rebound in export sales and new orders in the first half of 2021 as the industry recovered from the ravages of the Covid-19 pandemic.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch/mga
Sales picked up 9.3% from the same period last year, reported the industry umbrella body Swissmem on Tuesday.
And despite serious logistical backlogs and a shortage of many goods, exports across all geographies increased by 15.6% to reach CHF33.4 billion ($36.5 billion).
The encouraging figures echoed optimism from government economists who earlier this year predicted a 3.6% growth in gross domestic product (GDP) across all industries.
The industry lost 9,000 jobs over the course of 2020, but Swissmem said it “assumes that the number of employees will increase in the coming months due to the positive business development.”
A survey of member companies saw 53% predict the increase in overseas orders to continue for the remainder of 2021.
“The high number of incoming orders indicates that sales in the second half of the year will clearly exceed pre-crisis level,” said Swissmem director Stefan Brupbacher.
What factors should be taken into account when inheriting Swiss citizenship abroad?
Should there be a limit to the passing on of Swiss citizenship? Or is the current practice too strict and it should still be possible to register after the age of 25?
Is your place of origin, your Heimatort, important to you?
Every Swiss citizen has a Heimatort, a place of origin, but many have never visited theirs. What’s your relationship with your Heimatort? What does it mean to you?
ECHR condemns Swiss failure to protect woman from violence
This content was published on
Switzerland did not provide a woman with sufficient protection against her partner who had been violent in the past, rules the ECHR.
This content was published on
In Switzerland, 2.2 million people are affected by non-communicable diseases, partly because people are not eating a balanced diet.
Free trade remains ‘core’ Swiss value despite Trump tariffs
This content was published on
Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter says Switzerland remains committed to free trade despite a new 31% tariff on Swiss exports to the United States.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Switzerland’s economic outlook brightens as pandemic eases
This content was published on
Swiss gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to grow by 3.2% in 2021, upgraded from 2.2% in the previous forecast, the OECD reports.
Swiss economy on way back to normal, says top treasurer
This content was published on
Switzerland’s economy will be back to its pre-pandemic level as early as this year, says the director of the Federal Finance Administration.
Hardship funds boosted for struggling Swiss companies
This content was published on
Hardship payments were set up to support the worst hit firms, such as restaurants and bars, that have been forced to close for longer than other businesses. Nearly CHF3 billion has been paid out to more than 30,000 companiesExternal link so far. The majority of payments (CHF2.7 billion) are in the form of subsidies that…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.