Why finding a job in Switzerland is set to become easier
Experts forecast a major shortage in the Swiss job market in the coming years, with the hundreds of thousands of positions to become available due to retirement and a strong economy.
With nearly 150,000 people currently in quarantine, placing Switzerland’s critical infrastructure at risk, Omicron offers a foretaste of what could become a huge problem for the country in the years to come: impending shortage of trained workers.
At present, a gap is growing between the demand from the Swiss economy, which is constantly creating new jobs despite the Covid pandemic, and the ever-shrinking supply of skilled labour — employees who have a vocational diploma or university degree.
READ MORE: How to find English language jobs in Switzerland
In addition to Switzerland’s strong economy, the number of people retiring is higher than that of new employees entering the workforce.
“The impact on the labour market will be huge,” said Tino Senoner, director of Dynajobs, who predicts a shortage of 365,000 specialised workers by 2025.
“This lack of personnel will cost the economy. In 2025 alone, this could lead to the loss of nearly 60 billion francs in added value,” said Senoner.
If the trend continues unabated, there will be a shortage of 1.2 million skilled workers by 2035.
EXPLAINED: Five things you need to do when you move to Switzerland
Which industries will be hard hit?
While the labour shortage is expected to hit all areas of the Swiss economy, several areas will be particularly hard hit including healthcare, manufacturing and particularly IT.
READ MORE: How much do IT specialists earn in Switzerland?
IT workers will be especially in demand, experts say, because businesses will need to digitalise and automate to make up for the likely shortage.
Experts however say that lower skilled jobs will also be in higher demand, including hospitality, retail and transport.
What does this mean for workers inside - and outside - of Switzerland?
With hundreds of thousands of vacancies to fill, people with the permission to work in Switzerland are likely to be flush with offers - particularly skilled workers with recognised qualifications.
One likely trend is that people will be encouraged to delay their retirements in order to work for longer.
Employers may look to adopt flexible working conditions including part-time hours or remote work in order to tempt skilled workers to stave off retirement for a few more years.
EXPLAINED: How to write the perfect Swiss CV
Simon Wey, chief economist of the Swiss Employers' Union, said companies should start investing more in training their employees.
“From the employers' point of view, the priority is to exploit the potential of Swiss labor,” he said.
"The Swiss Employers' Union wants to encourage collaboration between the generations and create stronger incentives to work beyond the retirement age".
Another consequence will be a need to import more skilled workers from abroad.
Senoner points out that this may be difficult as Switzerland will need to compete with several other European nations for workers, particularly German-speaking Europe, in the coming years.
“In the German-speaking area as a whole, there will be a shortage of nearly two million specialists within four years,” Senoner said.
What does this mean for Switzerland?
Although the trend is likely to be positive for workers, if it is not rectified it may have serious consequences for the Swiss economy.
Wey said the trend could endanger prosperity in Switzerland, one of the world’s wealthiest nations.
"If there is a shortage of labor, Switzerland's economic location will lose an important competitive advantage for creating wealth,” Wey told Blick.
READ MORE: Five insider tips to find a job in Switzerland
Alexander Bélaz, President of Employees Switzerland, said companies will be hampered not just in terms of staffing, but with regard to innovation.
“If you lack qualified staff, less time is available to put ideas and new products in place. Switzerland's capacity for innovation and competitiveness could suffer as a result,” explains Bélaz.
"This scarcity of resources is one of the most important business risks in the industry and in the medium term constitutes a danger for innovation in Switzerland.”
Wey called upon governments to invest more in other indirect services to help workers, such as childcare and daycare facilities.
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With nearly 150,000 people currently in quarantine, placing Switzerland’s critical infrastructure at risk, Omicron offers a foretaste of what could become a huge problem for the country in the years to come: impending shortage of trained workers.
At present, a gap is growing between the demand from the Swiss economy, which is constantly creating new jobs despite the Covid pandemic, and the ever-shrinking supply of skilled labour — employees who have a vocational diploma or university degree.
READ MORE: How to find English language jobs in Switzerland
In addition to Switzerland’s strong economy, the number of people retiring is higher than that of new employees entering the workforce.
“The impact on the labour market will be huge,” said Tino Senoner, director of Dynajobs, who predicts a shortage of 365,000 specialised workers by 2025.
“This lack of personnel will cost the economy. In 2025 alone, this could lead to the loss of nearly 60 billion francs in added value,” said Senoner.
If the trend continues unabated, there will be a shortage of 1.2 million skilled workers by 2035.
EXPLAINED: Five things you need to do when you move to Switzerland
Which industries will be hard hit?
While the labour shortage is expected to hit all areas of the Swiss economy, several areas will be particularly hard hit including healthcare, manufacturing and particularly IT.
READ MORE: How much do IT specialists earn in Switzerland?
IT workers will be especially in demand, experts say, because businesses will need to digitalise and automate to make up for the likely shortage.
Experts however say that lower skilled jobs will also be in higher demand, including hospitality, retail and transport.
What does this mean for workers inside - and outside - of Switzerland?
With hundreds of thousands of vacancies to fill, people with the permission to work in Switzerland are likely to be flush with offers - particularly skilled workers with recognised qualifications.
One likely trend is that people will be encouraged to delay their retirements in order to work for longer.
Employers may look to adopt flexible working conditions including part-time hours or remote work in order to tempt skilled workers to stave off retirement for a few more years.
EXPLAINED: How to write the perfect Swiss CV
Simon Wey, chief economist of the Swiss Employers' Union, said companies should start investing more in training their employees.
“From the employers' point of view, the priority is to exploit the potential of Swiss labor,” he said.
"The Swiss Employers' Union wants to encourage collaboration between the generations and create stronger incentives to work beyond the retirement age".
Another consequence will be a need to import more skilled workers from abroad.
Senoner points out that this may be difficult as Switzerland will need to compete with several other European nations for workers, particularly German-speaking Europe, in the coming years.
“In the German-speaking area as a whole, there will be a shortage of nearly two million specialists within four years,” Senoner said.
What does this mean for Switzerland?
Although the trend is likely to be positive for workers, if it is not rectified it may have serious consequences for the Swiss economy.
Wey said the trend could endanger prosperity in Switzerland, one of the world’s wealthiest nations.
"If there is a shortage of labor, Switzerland's economic location will lose an important competitive advantage for creating wealth,” Wey told Blick.
READ MORE: Five insider tips to find a job in Switzerland
Alexander Bélaz, President of Employees Switzerland, said companies will be hampered not just in terms of staffing, but with regard to innovation.
“If you lack qualified staff, less time is available to put ideas and new products in place. Switzerland's capacity for innovation and competitiveness could suffer as a result,” explains Bélaz.
"This scarcity of resources is one of the most important business risks in the industry and in the medium term constitutes a danger for innovation in Switzerland.”
Wey called upon governments to invest more in other indirect services to help workers, such as childcare and daycare facilities.
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