The latest figuresExternal link from the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco) show the annual unemployment rate dipping slightly from 3.1% in 2020 to 3% last year.
The situation looked even rosier at the end of the year. The number of people registered as jobless fell 25% in December compared to the same month in 2020.
The job market has largely weathered the pandemic thanks to state hand-outs, which include extended unemployment welfare payments, an insurance scheme that pays most of the wages of people on shortened hours, plus loans and grants issued to struggling companies.
The economy is beginning to wean itself off some of these subsidies. In February last year, 523,687 employees were on shortened working hours, but this number had fallen to 48,264 by October.
The biggest threat facing companies right now is the number of staff out sick or forced into quarantine to avoid catching Covid-19.
While most cantons have reduced the quarantine period down from ten days to seven, the Swiss Business Federation this week demanded that it should be cut to five days.
More
More
Coronavirus: the situation in Switzerland
This content was published on
An overview of the latest Covid-related information in the Alpine nation.
Two decades after tsunami, Swiss tourists flock to Southeast Asia
This content was published on
Twenty years after a catastrophic tsunami in Southeast Asia, the region is again a top destination for Swiss, including at Christmas.
Swiss forests better equipped for storms 25 years after Lothar
This content was published on
Twenty-five years after Hurricane Lothar wreaked havoc in Switzerland, the country’s forests are now better prepared, experts say.
Media: Swiss medical services done abroad are billed at Swiss rates
This content was published on
In Switzerland, some medical services carried out abroad are still billed at Swiss rates, despite costing less, RTS reports.
This content was published on
Sophie Hediger, a member of the Swiss national snowboard cross team, has died in an avalanche in Arosa. She was 26 years old.
This content was published on
Several Swiss films exceeded the 100,000 admissions mark worldwide in 2024 and received widespread praise at international film festivals.
Swiss Alpine resorts covered in white gold for Christmas
This content was published on
Many areas at low altitudes in Switzerland are enjoying a blanket of snow. In the mountains, intense precipitation has delighted skiers.
SWISS makes emergency landing in Austria after smoke in cockpit
This content was published on
Swiss International Airlines (SWISS) made an emergency landing of an Airbus in Graz, Austria on Monday evening after engine problems.
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.