By Neil MacLucas
ZURICH--The Swiss government on Thursday lowered its forecast
for gross domestic product growth next year due to the sluggish
performance of economies in the eurozone, the Alpine country's key
export market.
The government said, however, that while there is uncertainty
about the outlook for global growth, the Swiss economy remains on a
"solid path" and kept its forecast for GDP expansion this year
unchanged.
Swiss GDP will expand 1.8% this year, the government agency Seco
said, unchanged from its October estimate. Expansion next year will
reach 2.1%, below its earlier forecast of 2.4%.
The Swiss unemployment rate is likely to average 3.2% this year,
unchanged from its previous forecast, falling to 3% in 2015, down
from the previous projection of 3.1%, Seco said.
The consumer price index is likely to be flat this year,
compared with the 0.1% rise forecast in October and will rise an
average 0.2% in 2015 compared with the previous 0.4% forecast.
-Write to Neil MacLucas at neil.maclucas@wsj.com