Brief Review

Employment

The number of people employed has risen slowly but steadily since 2004, the primary beneficiaries being immigrants and women. As of the second quarter of 2007, the service sector employs the greatest number of people at 26,3 percent, most of whom are middle management. This is followed by service and sales staff at 19,8 percent, administrative staff at 18 percent, academic/scientific professions at 14,1 percent, and executives and senior managers at 4,3 percent. Unskilled workers comprise 7,6 percent of Swiss employees, according to the Federal Statistical Office.

The overall productivity of the Swiss workforce and the flexibility of its labour market have caused Switzerland to come out on top in international comparisons. A GDP of around $39,800 US dollars per head of the working population in 2007 constitutes an increase of 17,6 percent over the year before. The reasons for Switzerland’s outstanding performance are the high morale of its workers, high pay, a long working week, excellent infrastructure and the rare occurrence of strikes. The comparatively short notice period of between one and three months further enhances the recruitment flexibility of Swiss companies.