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Swiss firms facing unprecedented talent crunch

Office workers with laptops
People with higher qualifications are in most demand. © Keystone / Gaetan Bally

Businesses in Switzerland are being forced to cope with an historic shortage of highly skilled workers, according to job placement company Adecco.

Demand for the likes of doctors, nurses, IT specialists and engineers is outstripping supply in the job market.

The balance between employer and employee has changed dramatically since the end of the pandemic. Companies that pared down hiring in 2020 and 2021, or even trimmed down their workforces, are now urgently seeking new recruits.

As a result, the annual Skills Shortage Index, complied by Adecco and the University of Zurich has reached unprecedented highs.

“Demand for qualified professionals will continue to rise, with the result that rather than companies selecting employees, it will increasingly be the other way around,” said Marcel Keller, head of Adecco Switzerland.

The talent crunch is not spread evenly around the country because different cantons have varying levels of unemployment. The shortage of skilled staff is being felt more acutely in Geneva than Zurich, for example.

Demand also varies for different types of job and is heavily weighted towards scientific and technical personnel. There are fewer vacancies for social workers and journalists, while the supply of marketing and public relations specialists broadly matches demand.

“The higher the qualification required for the job, the higher the demand,” said Keller.

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