Switzerland : Job market

What are my chances of getting a job?

In Switzlerland, non-nationals typically work either as seasonal workers in tourism or, if highly qualified, in IT and financial services.

• Typical problems encountered: there are restrictions on permits to work in Switzerland for non-nationals, but these have been waived for citizens of EFTA and EU17 countries, which include the UK and Ireland (see visa and immigration).
• How to improve your chances: it is highly recommended that graduates be able to use the language of the canton where they work. (The German-speaking Swiss are more likely to use English than the French or Italian speakers.)
• Language requirements: German, French, Italian, and Romansch are all official languages. German is most widely spoken but French is used in the western part of the country while Italian is spoken in Ticino and the southern areas. Romansch (Rhaeto-Roman) is spoken in the only trilingual canton, Graubünden.

Where can I work?

• Major industries: banking, insurance, tourism, pharmaceuticals, watch production, electrical and mechanical engineering, and logistics.
• Recent growth areas: molecular biology and biotechnology.
• Shortage occupations: communication system engineers, biotechnologists, economists, finance specialists, lawyers and German language teachers.
• Industries in decline: agriculture and forestry.
• Major companies: include Nestlé, Credit Suisse, Glencore, Novartis, Roche, ABB, Adecco, UBS, Swiss Re, Swatch and Zurich Financial Services.
• Search for more companies: Kompass, a worldwide business directory searchable by country and product/service, Swiss Yellow Pages and Europages.
• Major cities: Bern (capital), Zurich (largest city), Basel, Geneva and Lausanne.

What’s it like working in Switzerland?

• Average working hours: about 42 per week.
• Holidays: full-time employees are entitled to 20 days of paid leave per year, plus eight or nine public holidays (this varies according to the canton).
• Tax rates: rates are low in Switzerland, but all residents must arrange healthcare insurance within three months of arriving in the country. It is also compulsory to insure against unemployment, occupational accidents and occupational illness. A 2005 survey by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office calculated that the average Swiss spends just over a third of their household budget on taxes and insurance (Swiss World).
• Working practices: Swiss companies are generally traditional and hierarchical, with workers normally expected to project a low-key, modest image in the workplace.