Switzerland ' s pension system has attracted considerable attention, mainly due to its reliance on a three-pillar structure. A relatively small pay-as-you-go system (first pillar) is complemented by a mandatory, employer-based, fully funded occupational pension scheme (second pillar). The main goal of this paper is to provide a detailed description and analysis of the Swiss pension system. Particular emphasis is placed on the second pillar and its role in the provision of old age benefits within the Swiss social security system. The paper shows, for example, that a typical individual with an uninterrupted career can expect a net (after-tax) replacement rate of at least 70 percent. Occupational pension plans are highly regulated. Minimum interest rate requirements and minimum conversion rates (at which the accumulated retirement balances are transformed into annuity streams) introduce many elements of defined benefit plans into notionally defined contribution schemes. The resulting money ' s worth ratios are very high (with the exception of single males). Switzerland also has a high annuitization rate by international standards (approximately 80 percent). However, due to high fragmentation of the scheme and non-uniform accounting practices, some aspects of the system are not very transparent. The paper sheds light on the financial health of the pension system and the evolution of the regulatory framework in the past two decades.
Wenn ich mich an eines erinnern kann aus den frühen 1970er Jahren, so ist es die jeweils ungeduldig erwartete sonntägliche Hitparade am Radio. Der damalige Moderator der - wie ich mangels Frühenglisch verstand - "Bestzähler" auf dem Plattenteller, Jürg Marquart, wurde kürzlich 65 (Gratulation!). Inzwischen einer der 300 reichsten Schweizer, stellte er klar: "Ich verzichte nicht auf meine AHV." Er habe seinen Solidaritätsbeitrag geleistet. Dass er einen Bruchteil zurückbekomme (vermutlich im Promillebereich), sei nur fair.
This paper examines the geographic determinants of firm bankruptcy. We employ hazard rate models to study the bankruptcy risk of a firm, allowing for time-varying covariates. Based on a large sample from all geographic areas and the major sectors of the Swiss economy, we find the following main results: (1) Bankruptcy rates tend to be lower in the central municipalities of agglomerations; (2) bankruptcy rates are lower in regions with favorable business conditions (where corporate taxes and unemployment are low and public investment is high); (3) private taxes and public spending at the local level have little impact on bankruptcy rates.
This paper estimates the effect of trade liberalization on growth, using plant-level data from Switzerland. We employ a natural experiment framework to quantify the effect of a bundle of treaties liberalizing trade between Switzerland and the EU enacted in June 2002 ("Bilateral Agreements I") on the growth of Swiss plants. Using both a semi-parametric difference-in-differences and a matching approach, we find that the liberalization of trade increased the growth of affected plants by 1-2 percent during the first six years after liberalization. Our results suggest that trade liberalization has a relevant effect on growth.
