The Swiss job market is expected to weaken slightly at the start of this year, but overall it should perform well in the coming quarters, economists predict.
The Swiss Institute for Economic Research (KOF) Employment Indicator fell slightly in the first quarter of 2024 compared with the previous quarter, it reported on Monday.
However, the situation on the Swiss labour market remains positive, said KOF experts from the institute that belongs to the federal technology institute ETH Zurich.
It noted that most survey respondents “still consider their current staffing levels to be too low”.
“The indicator for the current and coming quarters suggests that employment in Switzerland will remain strong,” it added.
But most manufacturing businesses surveyed said that their current staffing levels were too high and that they were planning to reduce their workforces over the coming months. The employment outlook for this sector over the next three months has continued to deteriorate since the previous quarter.
The retail trade, hotels and catering, and insurance sectors also face a deteriorating outlook in the coming quarters, the KOF survey said.
The survey is based on the replies of around 4,500 companies asked in January 2024 about their employment plans.
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles. You can find them here.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.
External Content
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Almost finished… We need to confirm your email address. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you.
Popular Stories
More
Swiss Abroad
The Swiss Alps, a new Eldorado for real estate developers
Should Switzerland take measures to support its struggling industries?
Industrial policies are back in fashion, not only in the United States but also in the EU. Should Switzerland, where various industries are struggling, draw inspiration from such policies?
As a Swiss Abroad, how do you feel about the emergence of more conservative family policies in some US states?
In recent years several US states have adopted more conservative policies on family issues, abortion and education. As a Swiss citizen living there, how do you view this development?
Swiss authorities file criminal complaint for false signatures
This content was published on
The case of allegedly forged signatures for popular initiatives in Switzerland continues: the Federal Chancellery has filed a criminal complaint for the third time.
Swiss government must prioritise transport projects
This content was published on
Following the no to motorway expansions and additional costs for future rail infrastructure, the Swiss government must set priorities for road and rail expansion.
SMI back above 12,500 points for first time since beginning of 2022
This content was published on
The leading SMI index rose by almost 1% at times in the morning and traded above 12,500 points for the first time since the beginning of 2022.
Markus Ritter enters race for seat in Swiss government
This content was published on
Markus Ritter from the Centre Party has thrown his hat into the ring to succeed Defence Minister Viola Amherd on the seven-seat Swiss government.
Lausanne hospital produces drug from faecal bacteria
This content was published on
The University Hospital of canton Vaud (Chuv) is the first Swiss hospital to receive approval for the production of such drugs from donor stool.
Increase in heat deaths set to outweigh decrease in cold deaths
This content was published on
The growing number of heat-related deaths due to climate change will significantly exceed the decline in the number of cold-related deaths in Europe, according to a study.
Every second Swiss buys from Chinese online retailers
This content was published on
Chinese online retailers are becoming increasingly popular in Switzerland. Every other person has already made such a purchase in the past year.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.