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Swiss job market 2026: where are the jobs?

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Unemployment is rising in Switzerland, and so is employment. Figures and indices published in 2026 show job ads rising in some occupations and falling in others, and more started applications per ad on JobCloud's job sites.

2 min read

More unemployment and more jobs

In September 2026, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) counted 140,480 unemployed people registered with a regional employment centre (RAV), 7,247 more than a year earlier. Its unemployment rate held at 3.0%. According to the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), the unemployment rate as defined by the International Labour Organization (ILO) rose in the second quarter of 2026, from 4.6% to 4.9%. In the same quarter, the FSO counted 111,800 more jobs in companies than a year earlier, up 2.0%.

These figures do not contradict each other: they measure different things.

SECO FSO, ILO definition
Who is counted People registered with the RAV who are out of work and available to start immediately People aged 15 to 74 who did not work in the reference week, actively looked for a job in the previous four weeks and are available for work
Where the data come from RAV registrations A population survey, the Swiss Labour Force Survey
Latest rate 3.0% in September 2026 4.9% in the second quarter of 2026

The FSO notes that the ILO definition is in line with OECD recommendations and the Eurostat definition. Lastly, the FSO's employment statistics measure the demand for labour by counting jobs in companies.

Uneven hiring across occupations

In the second quarter of 2026, companies reported 98,700 vacancies, according to the FSO. The Adecco Group and the University of Zurich note that companies are hiring more selectively. Their index compares job ads published between the third quarter of 2025 and the second quarter of 2026 with those of the previous year. Ads rose by 17% in highly qualified health professions and by 12% in skilled trades and industry. They fell by 13% in commercial, administrative and sales occupations, and by 18% in natural science occupations.

On JobCloud's job sites, including jobs.ch and jobup.ch, ads are drawing more applications. According to the company, the number of started applications per ad rose by 36% year on year in April 2026. The increase was almost 50% in May and 22% in June. A started application has not necessarily been submitted, and these figures apply only to JobCloud's platforms.

People registered with the RAV have an edge. Under the job registration requirement, SECO explains, employers in occupations with a national unemployment rate of at least 5% must report their vacancies to the RAV. These vacancies first appear on Job-Room, the online job portal of the unemployment insurance scheme. Registered jobseekers see them there five working days before they can be advertised anywhere else. According to SECO, these occupations account for 10.8% of the working population in 2026, up from 6.5% in 2025.

What we think

The Swiss job market is shifting rather than closing its doors. With or without a job, the real question is not whether companies are hiring, but where, and for whom. When each ad attracts more applications, careful targeting beats a wide net. You are better off choosing fewer openings that closely match your background and taking care over each application, rather than flooding recruiters. A good tool brings you relevant job ads every day and leaves you time to respond properly to each: that is the idea behind ApplyNow.

If you are registered with the RAV and your occupation is subject to the job registration requirement in 2026, check Job-Room several times a week. You will see some vacancies there before unregistered candidates do.

Sources

Published on 6 October 2026, by Greg Lefebvre