I retired at 52 nearly 6 years ago & I don't have time to do everything I want to do, cant imagine going to work due to being bored.

To be fair, that's likely due to your dad having a lack of hobbies and interests to fill his time.

I'm not even 40 yet and I could retire tomorrow (if I had the cash, sigh).

Not illogical for a country where branding rules. His worked.

I feel almost guilty to be so excited to go to work every morning. It's a riot, not one day is the same.

The thing is, if you are unemployed but no longer entitled to RAV, then you are no longer counted as being unemployed. I find this a very misleading way of calculating the true unemployment figure.

Germany has an overproduction of academics of all sorts, e.g. IT, economics, lawyers, scientists .. as a result of a misdirected education system (it is too easy to get a A level degree in Germany). As for Switzerland, the consequence of this maldevelopent is an increased

immigration pressure of the academic overproduction - thus leading to increased pressure on salaries, especially in regions near the German border like Basel, Schaffhausen. Also the overpriced products of the Basel drugmakers (manufactured in India) are not any more in high demand...

Glad to hear EF keeps you entertained.

overabundance of university graduates in Germany



https://www.stern.de/wirtschaft/news...e-3310346.html

The only statistics you can trust are those you falsified yourself

That article is from 2013.

The stronger Swiss Franc is not helping either. I've been 20 years in Switzerland and have observed this same trend as the Swiss Franc is only getting stronger since it's perceived as a safe haven (along with Japanese Yen and Gold) when every other asset fail.

The EU economic downturns e.g. Italy, Spain also make Switzerland a very attractive destination. I have noticed increased migration of northern Italians into the German speaking parts of Switzerland in my field of work. More competition leads to lower wages and lay offs of the more expensive employees.

It was a problem already then, yes.

I don't think it's salary but pension contributions from 45 up.
I'm at the top of my profession but can't even get an interview. The only interview I've had was for the Bergbahnenkasse and I couldn't even get that

Thats a red herring as there is no requirement to pay pension contributions on the full salary & salary can be reduced to compensate.

Hang in there.

I think there's still a very widespread impression / wall of too old + too experienced = too expensive.

It is as wide spread as a single parent = can do only part time. A double hit when the single parent cannot rely on the other parent nor family here.

True, but I think it is the same with all countries - the definition excludes what in Ireland they call 'long term unemployed'.

Thats really interesting. what do you count as then in those circumstances ? Do you just disappear from the records or are you marked as some other category ?

Well I'd say the over 50s one is skewed in favour of the under 55s or so....