If companies can no longer fill vacancies, even for the unskilled, there will be de facto full employment. According to the State Secretariat of Economic Affairs (Seco), the labor supply in Switzerland has not been as tight for decades as it was last year.
The average number of unemployed for 2022 was 99,577. This results in an unemployment rate of 2.2 percent. This is the lowest rate in 20 years.
What are the reasons why the Swiss labor market is doing extremely well? Marco Salvi, 53, labor market expert at liberal think tank Avenir Suisse, places them on the potential for undisturbed economic growth and companies to catch up: “The main reason is certainly the unexpectedly rapid recovery after the end of the pandemic.”
Experts are better off than companies
In addition, the decentralized organization of unemployment services also helps. “This means things are placed where they are needed,” says Salvi. However, this does not solve the skilled worker shortage. According to data from the Federal Statistical Office, 30 percent of companies have difficulty hiring workers with higher professional qualifications. It is similarly difficult to find people who are university graduates or have completed apprenticeships.
This works for the experts they are looking for. At work, they have more leeway when it comes to salary claims or enjoy special benefits such as more vacations. And companies are choosing to tighten the cost screws in other areas rather than laying people off – if necessary.