People who live in France but work in Switzerland have been found to earn more than twice as much as those who don’t cross the border, according to a new study from the Cross-Border Statistical Observatory (OST). Swiss salaries mean that border regions are some of the most affluent areas of France.
As it stands, approximately two-thirds of households in the French border regions earn money from a job in Switzerland. These cross-border permit holders or Frontaliers are known to earn significantly more than those who live and work in France and also benefit from the fact that they pay Swiss taxes on their income.
To see just how big the gap has become, the OST used its data to calculate the average net income of those who live in France and work in Switzerland, and those who both live and work in our western neighbour. In this case, net income refers to earnings on payslips once compulsory deductions like taxes and contributions to health insurance are removed.
They found that in the 117 different French municipalities that are near Geneva, as of 2018 cross-border workers have a median income of 41.900 euros a year, compared to just 20.200 euros for those who both live and work in the French border region. This means that Frontaliers have roughly the same disposable income as those who both live and work in the Romandie.
The gap is at its widest in the town of Saint-Julien-en-Genevois, where cross-border workers earn 169 percent more. Annemasse (115 percent) and Gex (128 percent) also saw huge differences.
"The standard of living increases with proximity to the border," the OST wrote. They noted that even if you aren’t a Frontalier, living in close proximity to Switzerland leads to a higher wage.
Compared to the average wages in their departments - such as Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Ain, and Haute-Savoie, which are already among the most affluent regions in France - residents of towns near Geneva earn between 10 and 31 percent more than the regional average.
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