EMPLOYMENT

Switzerland has been perceived abroad as a country where being unemployed is rare. However, the present international economic weakness is affecting the Swiss business climate, and unemployment is on the rise, with the employment situation at its worst in the Italian-speaking region of the country.

Switzerland is known as a country with a restrictive policy regarding foreign labor. However, the country lacks highly qualified labor in various science-intensive industries, including IT, engineering, and medical services. As a result, the restrictions imposed on the employment of foreign labor, especially executives and certain specialists, have been eased in recent years.

The working population is the most productive in all the world. Switzerland is one of the highest in Europe when it comes to productivity. A GNP of 62,000 dollars per capita of the working population puts Switzerland in second place in the worldwide ranking. The reasons for this excellent performance are to be found in the high work ethic, the long working week, the country’s outstanding infrastructure and few strikes.