Isabelle Pigeron-Piroth
Fonction
Chercheuse
Organisation
Université du Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Les travailleurs frontaliers au Luxembourg et en Suisse : Emploi, Quotidien et Perceptions
Les travailleurs frontaliers au Luxembourg et en Suisse : Emploi, Quotidien et Perceptions
Border Region
Greater region SaarLorLux, Luxembourg,Switzerland, Canton Geneva, Canton Basel, Canton Ticino
Language(s)
Français
Allemand
Main Category
Introduction
For the first time, a comparison of the largest European poles of cross-border employment has been performed. This publication refers to employment, everyday life and perception of the cross-border commuters based on twelve scientific contributions from various universities from Switzerland and Luxembourg.
Summary
In spite of their small sizes, Luxembourg and Switzerland have a high demand for workers. In particular, they offer employment opportunities to people crossing the border to work. The situation in the main employment sites (Luxembourg, Basel, Geneva) – but also Ticino – is the object of the subject leaflet that 19 authors submit contributions with comparing perspectives. Under consideration of central context features and methodological considerations, the geographers, economists, sociologists and politologists considered in particular the labour market, cross-border everyday life and social perception of cross-border commuters. The multidisciplinary approach was eventually condensed by the editors into shared challenges between Luxembourg and Switzerland.
Content
Most cross-border commuters in Europe work in Switzerland or Luxembourg: These two countries employed more than half a million people in early 2018. They come from adjacent countries and have been using workers from abroad for decades. This structural phenomenon is anchored in local economy, in particular in Luxembourg, Basel and Geneva, the cross-border metropolises that are often named as examples for cross-border commuters. The proximity of these phenomenon encouraged researchers from the University of Luxembourg to cooperate with researchers from different universities from Switzerland (Geneva, Basel, Neuchâtel, Ticino and Lausanne) in matters of cross-border commuters. An interdisciplinary colloquium was organised on 24 October 2017 at the University of Luxembourg concerning the subject of "cross-border commuters in Switzerland and Luxembourg – employment – everyday life – perceptions". That day's goal was discussing the cross-border phenomenon and its most important properties in these two spaces from a comparison perspective. After the colloquium, contributions of researchers from Switzerland and Luxembourg were developed in various disciplines and summarised in this subject booklet. This publication is the first one of its kind that makes a comparison between the most important European poles of cross-border commuters.
This subject booklet presents a comparison that considers contextual and methodical elements. The goal is to find out whether there are shared goals for the various cross-border labour markets. If this is the case, one must find out whether shared solutions for similar challenges can be found for these two spaces very strongly affected by cross-border commuters.
Table of contents :
- Preface from the interregional labour market observation point of the greater region
- Cross-border employment from a comparison point of view. Isabelle Pigeron-Piroth and Christian Wille (University of Luxembourg)
- Cross-border employment in Luxembourg: Context elements and statistical portrait. Isabelle Pigeron-Piroth (University Luxembourg)
- Lothringians employed abroad: A cartographic analysis on municipal level. Isabelle Pigeron-Piroth, Malte Helfer (University Luxembourg)
- Economic and spatial effects of cross-border commuters on Luxembourg. Rachid Belkacem (Université de Lorraine) and Isabelle Pigeron-Piroth (University Luxembourg)
- Decryption of the phenomenon of cross-border commuters in Switzerland. Cédric Duchêne-Lacroix (University Basel), Christian Wille and Isabelle Pigeron-Piroth (University Luxembourg)
- Cross-border commuters and the issues of the labour market: The case of Switzerland. Sylvain Weber (Université de Neuchâtel), José V. Ramirez (HES-SO Geneva), Giovanni Ferro Luzzi (HES-SO Geneva)
- What attitude and satisfaction is there concerning means of transport? The case of cross-border commuters working in Luxembourg. Philippe Gerber (Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research), Marius Thériault (Université Laval), Samuel Carpentier-Postel (Aix Marseille Université), Christophe Enaux (Université de Strasbourg)
- Work and life in the border area. Design options in the daily life of cross-border commuters in the "Grand Génève". Claudio Bolzman & Nasser Tafferant (Haute école de travail social in Geneva)
- What can social participation of the cross-border commuters look like? Thoughts of spatial aspects, exclusion, general welfare and the cross-border context. Cédric Duchêne-Lacroix (University Basel)
- How are cross-border commuters perceived by institutional actors in the Basel region? Nadja Lützel (University Basel)
- Cross-border commuters, viewed by the institutional actors in the canton Ticino. Paola Solcà (University of Applied Sciences Southern Switzerland SUPSI)
- Perception of the cross-border commuters by the citizens in the canton Ticino. Oscar Mazzoleni & Andrea Pilotti (Université de Lausanne)
- Conclusions Isabelle Pigeron-Piroth and Christian Wille (University of Luxembourg)
This subject booklet is financed by the INTERREG VA greater region in the scope of the project "UniGR-Center for Border Studies".
Conclusions
However, one also considers the relevance of the elements of context and methodics (scales, definitions, contexts, disciplines, etc.). Various shared items in the area of cross-border commuters were worked out. These initially were a variety of profiles of cross-border commuters in the two spaces. Cross -border employment reacts to quantitative needs (need for workers) of the labour markets in Luxembourg and Switzerland, but also qualitative needs (needs of certain profile types). Cross-border employment is also a structural phenomenon that is anchored in the local economies of Luxembourg and the most strongly affected Swiss cantons (Geneva, Basel, and Ticino). Shared trends were found in Switzerland and Luxembourg: A steep increase of cross-border commuters in the last years, reinforced by economic issues in certain regions where the cross-border commuters are living, as well as diversification of the profiles of cross-border commuters (increasingly qualified and represented through all industries).
Concerning the differences, these are most evident between Switzerland and Luxembourg where perception of the cross-border commuters is concerned. In the areas of unemployment or wage dumping, cross-border commuters are held responsible for many issues in Switzerland, in particular in the cantons of Geneva and Ticino. They are accused of profiting from this situation. In Basel, in contrast, they are perceived more beneficially, and in Luxembourg the cross-border commuters are perceived as "familiar strangers" (Wille, 2012) needed for economic growth but potentially "threatening" the language and culture of Luxembourg. The appearance of political parties in Switzerland that oppose cross-border commuters reflects a feeling of distrust and a search for a scapegoat. Luxembourg has not reached that point yet, even though there are clearly tensions that are focused around the language practice (it is held against the cross-border commuters that they do not speak Luxembourg's language).
Considering the relevance of cross-border commuters, several of the two spaces show shared challenges referring to the environment (congested roads and air pollution due to too many cars), but also the economy (future development of the qualification needs, language practice, etc.), demographics (aging population, etc.) and social structures (cohesion, integration, rising populism, etc.).
Lead
Université du Luxembourg
Author of the entry
Contributions
Université du Luxembourg, Université de Lorraine, Université de Bâle, Université de Genève , Université de Neuchâtel, Haute école spécialisée de la Suisse italienne, Université de Lausanne, Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research, Université Laval, Aix Marseille Université, Université de Strasbourg.
Contact Person(s)
Date of creation
2019