More than 400,000 people unsuccessfully looking for work in Switzerland: employers now defending themselves against claims

class=”sc-29f61514-0 icZBHN”>

Employers are currently having to endure a lot of criticism: they are inflexible, they do not consider candidates over 50, and they do not give a chance to career changers. These are some of the claims emerging from a recent labor market study. The study’s author, Pascal Scheiwiller (50), criticizes that the shortage of skilled workers does little to change this: “This shows that the need among companies is not as great as we believe.”

Employers are now defending themselves. “Companies are making a lot more concessions when it comes to hiring these days,” says Simon Wey (47), chief economist at the Swiss Employers Association. “For example, they give a chance to young people or refugees who have no professional experience.”

The gap remains

Wey said that even people who could not yet speak the language at a normal level were given jobs. “If companies see potential, they invest in the training of their employees, for example in language courses, even if these employees are not yet productive to begin with.”

If employers were more tolerant and compromised on the needs profile, why are more than 400,000 people in Switzerland unemployed or wanting to work more but unable to find the right job? “Unemployment will never completely disappear,” says Wey. “It is rare for qualified people on the market to be an exact match to open positions.” Wey says it would be an illusion to believe that a labor shortage will completely eliminate unemployment.

Some companies also decide to rationalize jobs through automation or digitalization if they cannot find suitable candidates. This may be cheaper for them than training someone who is not an immediate fit for the position.

Is there a staff shortage in the kitchen?

Of course, you can also find naysayers: companies that absolutely do not hire people over 50, or career changers who are not ready to deviate from their needs despite the lack of workers. “But these are exceptions,” Wey emphasizes. “Basically, employees have more influence in the current situation.”

For those affected who are currently unemployed, these assurances are little consolation. For example, for Volker Joh (59), who as a trained chef should have a shot at the catering industry. Industry association Gastrosuisse does not want to answer why restaurants are not ready to give a chance to a 59-year-old despite complaints about staff shortages. It just says you can’t judge the individual case.

Source :Blick