German emigrants say: «Switzerland is a gold mine: heavenly conditions reign here»

The German broadcaster ZDF showed German citizens working in Switzerland in a recent report. The report also shows how the inhabitants of the border regions feel and how Germany benefits from the Swiss who shop in their territory.

Living in the border region between Switzerland and Germany is not easy for everyone, but for Niklas Nowak one thing is clear: if you want to work hard and earn a great salary, Switzerland is ideal, as the 28-year-old declared in a report by German broadcaster ZDF.

Niklas is one of more than 300,000 Germans who have moved to Switzerland. And currently there are 65,000 German border workers.

The young German has been living and working in Zurich for several years and is convinced that he is doing everything right. In the ZDF program he describes Switzerland as “a small oasis or paradise in Europe”. “Switzerland is a gold mine,” says the German, who works at the check-in desk at the airport.

Nowak calls himself a “franc hunter”. Since the euro has become weak and the franc strong, he chases the Swiss currency. For him this is the “Zurich vibe” or the “Swiss style”.

The comparison shows the naked truth: in Germany Nowak earned on average only 1,800 euros net for the same job, while here in Switzerland he says he earns up to 6,000 francs net in peak months.

However, those who come to the Confederation to work must be aware of this: here we work hard. «In Switzerland, great value is placed on respect, discretion and professional treatment of customers. Ultimately, these too are Swiss values ​​and qualities,” the 28-year-old explains to ZDF.

It is more profitable for Germans on the border to work in Switzerland

For the young German, Switzerland makes his dreams come true. For Stefanie Brenzelalso German, who works in the oncology department of the University Hospital of Basel, cross-border work leaves a bitter aftertaste in the mouth.

To alleviate his feelings of guilt, as seen in the ZDF report, he helps out once a week at the nursing service in his hometown Schopfheim.

But in the Swiss state women earn more with a part-time job than with a full-time job in Germany. You also have more time for your patients and the pressure is less.

In neighboring Germany he often had ten or more chemotherapy sessions a day, whereas today he has two in a normal day. Swiss working conditions are simply “heavenly” for nurses compared to the past.

On the German side there is a huge gap in the supply of nursing personnel: «Of course people also want to support Germany, but how can they do this? Everything is increasingly expensive and money is scarce. It’s simply more profitable,” admits Brenzel to ZDF.

75% of customers come from Switzerland

Business in the border regions is also profitable for specialist retailers. After all, Swiss shopping tourists bring a shower of money.

Alexander Müller he is the manager of the Edeka branch in the Rhein Center in Weil am Rhein in Germany. And he knows it well: «Our store here may not be the largest in terms of surface area, but in terms of sales we are number one nationally».

With 75% of customers coming from the neighboring country, the Swiss would naturally be “the point of reference” for sales. ZDF even provides the figures: Swiss people generate 8.5 billion euros per year in retail sales in the German border region.

According to Müller, those who want to have the best of all worlds live in the border region near Basel in France, shop in Germany and work in Switzerland.

Also Ahmet Dogan appreciates the Swiss buyers of the Rhein Center very much. Many of them have been regular customers for many years and contribute to his livelihood. The kebab shop is the good soul of the shopping centre.

For Dogan’s generation, Germany was once the land of dreams. Today, however, many things have changed in this sense, he says in the ZDF report: «Germany was a model country. Everything was so right, so disciplined.” Switzerland is now a better Germany.

«Switzerland is an island of money»

Although the level of wages is higher in Switzerland, many of the protagonists agree that it should not be forgotten that people pay much more for living costs.

And Nowak says: «Working hours are longer, from 42 to 25 hours a week, the focus is on work». He is in Switzerland to actually do his job. Fun takes a back seat.

“Switzerland is an island of money, even if it’s not an island: the only thing missing here are beaches,” he adds, laughing Matthew Huaa friend of Nowak’s, a New Zealand masseur, at ZDF.