Graduates in Switzerland turn to food delivery as unemployment rises

Graduates and young professionals in Switzerland are facing an increasing dilemma: despite holding an undergraduate or master’s degree, many struggle to find a job. While regional employment offices (Regionale Arbeitsvermittlungszentren/RAV or Offices régionaux de placement/ORP) offer financial support and advice, stretches of extended unemployment are forcing residents to turn to jobs for which they are overqualified.

Unemployment rate rising in Switzerland

Young adults who have recently graduated from university now have to grapple with a harsh reality in Switzerland. Even with a master’s degree, it is taking jobseekers longer to find employment, and many are forced to turn to jobs for which they haven’t necessarily trained.

Figures from the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) revealed earlier this year that around 18.500 people in Switzerland with a master’s degree didn’t have a job in July 2026, reports 20 Minuten.

According to the Federal Statistical Office, a total of 252.000 people were unemployed in Switzerland in the second quarter of 2026, around 4,9 percent of the “economically active population”. The rates among young people (aged 15 to 24) and international residents are much higher at 8,8 percent and 8,3 percent respectively.

Not only are more graduates without a job, but the time it takes to find one is also increasing. The RAV in Zurich recently reported that residents under 30 years old with a university degree need around 141 days to find work, roughly two weeks more than two years ago. However, this still remains well below canton Zurich’s overall average of 227 days across all registered job seekers.

International graduates from outside the EU (non-EU/EFTA citizens) also have the added pressure of residence permits, which can only be extended for up to six months after graduation to find a job.

Why can’t graduates find work in Switzerland?

The Lucerne RAV attributes the struggle to changing company requirements. Employers are now “recruiting more selectively and often expect professional experience”, which will disadvantage many graduates. On top of this, companies hiring in Switzerland now frequently require either German or French at a B2 to C1 level.

The Zurich RAV believes it also comes down to “a lack of application experience and professional networks”, while Basel-Stadt contextualises the problem in the “uncertain global economic situation: companies are hesitant to hire new staff.”

In fact, the number of advertised jobs in Switzerland has steadily declined in recent years, while companies like Novartis, Just Eat, UBS and Helvetia Baloise have recently announced layoffs.

Jobseekers may have to turn to other work

Anyone who turns to RAV for support while finding a job, including unemployment benefits, will need to meet requirements. These include attending regular meetings, submitting proof of job applications (varying from eight to 12 per month) and taking part in courses such as CV coaching or language classes.

As part of the process, jobseekers may even have to apply for and accept jobs that they are overqualified for under the legal requirement to take on "suitable work" (zumutbare Arbeit). The dilemma has made its way onto social media, where graduates with master’s degrees share their experience of “working as food delivery drivers or flipping burgers,” continues 20 Minuten.

The Lucerne RAV commented that “This can be expected with increasing duration of unemployment,” although it varies depending on each situation. Basel-Stadt RAV explained that while the priority is matching “skills and experience”, other types of work must also be considered “within the frame of [jobseekers’] legal obligations.”