SHORTAGE OCCUPATIONS IN SWITZERLAND
Switzerland is one of the calmest, most beautiful and wealthiest countries in the world, whose government is doing its best to improve the welfare and overall living standards of local residents. The population of the state in 2024 is about 8.8 million people. At the same time, tens of thousands of labor migrants from neighboring countries, mainly France, Italy and Germany, daily cross the Swiss border, as they work in Zurich, Geneva and some other cities.
Hundreds of thousands of foreigners from different parts of the world dream of doing business, practicing their profession, studying and living in Switzerland. Nevertheless, not everybody can make their dreams come true. In particular, employment in Switzerland requires the applicant to fulfill a number of conditions, including experience and skill level. And a profession must be in high demand on the local labor market. Let's find out what professions are in demand in Switzerland in 2024.
Labor market in Switzerland
The Swiss labor market is one of the most competitive not only in Europe but also in the world. Local employers are interested in attracting exclusively highly qualified personnel with a profession that is in demand in the country. By the way, in the first six months of 2024 there was an increase in vacancies in almost all sectors of the economy. Unemployment in Switzerland does not exceed 2–4%, and inflation is almost non-existent (up to 3%).
For legal employment, which involves obtaining a work permit and work visa to Switzerland, foreign specialists must first find a vacancy and sign an employment contract with the employer. To make it rather difficult, as the first right to work have local inhabitants, and also citizens of EU and EFTA (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway). Moreover, there are special quotas for applicants from third countries (about 10 thousand per year).
As you know, the income of Swiss citizens is very high. There are no minimum figures at the national level, but some regions set their own rates. At the moment the cantons of Geneva, Jura, Neuchâtel and Ticino voted for the introduction of a minimum wage of 23, 20, 19.75-20.25 Swiss francs per hour respectively. According to the Federal Bureau of Statistics, the average wage in Switzerland in 2024 is 6.5 thousand francs per month before taxes.
The most demanded professions in Switzerland
According to Swiss recruitment agencies, the most popular professions in Switzerland in 2024 are in the areas of management, finance, education, information technology, construction, health and public service. The oversupply of professionals is observed in the hotel business and personal services – drivers, cleaners, domestic helpers and so on.
Among the citizens of the third countries, seasonal work is popular in Switzerland. Mostly in tourism (hotels, restaurants, bars, ski resorts) and on farms (hard physical work in agriculture, fisheries and forestry). Competition here is huge, and the number of offers is limited.
| № | Occupation |
| 1 | Auditors, accountants |
| 2 | Civil servants |
| 3 | Medical staff, pharmacists |
| 4 | Mid-level Managers |
| 5 | Tax Consultants |
| 6 | Programmers |
| 7 | Project managers |
| 8 | Builders |
| 9 | Technical specialists |
| 10 | Teachers/teachers |
| № | Profession | Swiss Francs per year (thousands) |
| 1 | Information Systems Architect | 135.3 |
| 2 | Doctor | 131.6 |
| 3 | Investment banker | 118.4 |
| 4 | Veterinarian | 114.4 |
| 5 | Actuarial | 112.1 |
| 6 | Cleric (high rank) | 109 |
| 7 | Pilot | 101.3 |
| 8 | Accountant | 89.5 |
| 9 | Software engineer | 87.7 |
| 10 | Military Officer | 83.9 |
Note. Information is based on Swiss and international recruitment agencies.
In conclusion, Switzerland is deservedly considered one of the best places to live. There are beautiful mountains and lakes, built an ideal infrastructure and functioning quality medicine. In addition, according to the Ecological Efficiency Index developed by scientists from Yale and Columbia Universities, Switzerland is the most environmentally friendly country in the world.
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