Anyone who wants a new job has good opportunities right now. Because it has an above average quota. Since the unemployment rate is also very low at the moment, competition should be limited. With the points below, Blick reveals how things are currently looking in the Swiss job market.
very low unemployment
Good news for employees: Unemployment in 2022 was the lowest level of the last 20 years!
The average unemployment rate was 2.2 percent last year. This is 0.8 percentage points less than the previous year. In precise figures, 99,577 people were registered as unemployed last year. This is almost a third less than the previous year.
But what are the reasons why the Swiss labor market is in such a good shape? 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 on: “The main reason is certainly the unexpectedly rapid recovery after the end of the pandemic.”
Many vacancies
As of mid-December, more than 250,000 jobs were vacant in Switzerland. This is good news, at least for employees. Companies are less happy: Retail giant Coop alone has 1,300 jobs to fill.
Nursing professionals and electricians are often sought after. More than 6000 vacancies have been announced. This is demonstrated by an assessment by human resources company x28. About 10 percent are looking for managers.
Most of the vacancies are in the canton of Zurich (59,318). But there is also a desperate search for workers in the canton of Bern (42,280) and Aargau (20,665).
The question now is how long it stays that way. In mid-December, 3.5 percent fewer job postings were posted on company websites than a month ago. This illustrates an assessment by the Indeed job portal for the AWP news agency.
The number of job postings posted was already falling in November: 11 percent fewer job postings were posted than in October. However, the shortage of skilled workers will likely continue to worsen.
These companies are renewing
But not all companies are hiring less. Despite a tough year with the Ukraine war, inflation, rising interest rates and the energy crisis, some big companies are optimistic.
This includes Switzerland: the airline has posted 1,500 new jobs for 2023. Ground handling company Swissport, which created 475 new jobs last year, plans to expand its existing workforce in Switzerland by 800 to 1,000 more by the summer. Zurich Airport and maintenance company SR Technics also want to create jobs.
Geneva-based luxury watch brand Rolex has also announced its new positions. The demand for luxury watches is so high that it has to expand production drastically. Electricity company Axpo, discounters Aldi and Lidl, and the three big canteen operators SV Group, ZFV and Compass Group will also create huge jobs in 2023.
Job interview tips
All this speaks for the job seeker. Once the job interview is in the bag, tension follows. After all, you want to make a good impression. But what’s the best way to do this?
There is little point in repeating your resume when introducing yourself. Instead, a summary of current activity should be made and briefly explain why you decided on the relevant career path. It also makes sense to refer to the company’s requirements.
Setting your professional goals clearly can also work well. It also helps to make a positive and optimistic impression during a personal presentation. Therefore, negative formulations should be avoided.