Fri, 19 March 2010
Jackie gives us the lowdown on being the proud member of her local CSA.
Kerrin of MyKugelhopf visits the working dairy museum where visitors can learn all about the region's world-famous cheese.
This week on Landlockedblues, Kaki King is a must-see in Geneva and Fribourg, and the Shout Out Louds and James Yorkston are previewed too.
Employment
Employment Information
As economic turmoil grows, it’s getting harder to be an...
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With fluctuating exchange rates and companies less willing to keep expats on their payroll, the economic landscape for expats is changing drastically.Expatriates have always been known for their ability to adapt to new cultures and contexts but the current financial crisis may prove to be the biggest challenge yet for internationals.
The economic landscape across the globe is changing by the day and it is still unclear how that will affect the world and workplace – and the place of expats within it.
Two things are already clearly impacted, though: the costs borne by expatriates in many European cities and overseas assignments by multinational corporations.
A recent survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), for instance, showed that while weakening exchange rates have substantially lowered the relative cost of living in Western Europe for expatriates, it remains the most expensive area of the world to live in. Western Europe boasts seven of the top 10 most expensive cities across the globe and all but two of the Western European cities surveyed are in the top 50, according to the report.
However, those living in Western Europe can take heart in the fact that the relative cost of living in the region is dropping – due, in large part, to drastic declines in European currencies such as the sterling, the euro and the Norwegian krone.
"Two factors drive the relative cost of living: local prices and exchange rates,” said Jon Copestake, editor of the report, released last month. “Normally our ranking of cities by cost of living is relatively stable but in the current global climate, changes in exchange rates have significantly altered our assessment of the most and least expensive cities."
Changes in the most expensive places
The main changes in the ranking occurred among the most expensive cities, according to the report. Paris, the most expensive city in Europe, dropped from second to third place. London’s weak sterling led the city, originally ranked eighth, to fall spectacularly to 27th position, putting it below New York for the first time since 2002.
Expensive Scandinavia was especially hard hit: Oslo, in first place last year, saw its relative cost of living drop by 28 index points and Stockholm by 24. Reykjavik, still reeling from Iceland’s banking collapse in October, experienced a fall of 23 points.
In perhaps a sign of how the financial and economic crisis has yet to affect certain countries, most main German and Spanish cities ranked experienced little fluctuation, according to the survey. Munich (16th), Berlin (17th), Madrid (20th) and Düsseldorf (31st) showed no change in ranking. Frankfurt dropped three spots to seventh while Barcelona and Hamburg rose only slightly from their positions in the top 30.
http://www.worldwebnewspapers.com/
Who calculates these cost of living rankings? They are clearly incorrect. I have lived recent years in both Amsterdam and Berlin. I spend my time in Berlin these days. I simply can't afford to live in Amsterdam, and I reckon on at least double prices for most things there, including property, rent, food, entertainment. Then there's electrical goods and things which are cheaper in Germany generally than in The Netherlands. How can Amsterdam be ranked 27th and Berlin 17th? It beggarsd belief.
I agree. What a crock of shit. Whomever took these stats had to be high.<br /> I live in Amsterdam area and I can tell you that Boston Mass, is far more expensive. Friends often tell me I'm on the gravy train. I agree. It used to be very expensive here in Europe, and that was when the rate was in favor of us. The rate might still be a little high but the general cost of living is cheaper. I almost had heart failure at my grocery bill in the Boston area. <br />
Meeting the educational, legal and financial needs of those with disabilities.
Expatica’s selection of Language Schools, specialised in German for foreigners.
Information on searching for an apartment, visiting prospective homes, gathering necessary paperwork and signing the lease.
Information about the Swiss health care system, health insurance, pharmacies and emergency numbers.
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