Employers in Switzerland are desperately seeking skilled workers to fill a shortage of qualified professionals in various industries across the country. The Swiss job market currently offers so many opportunities for those looking to find a job that employees in the country now have the upper hand when negotiating salaries and working hours.

Certain industries in Switzerland significantly lacking skilled workers

Several different types of workers are in particularly short supply in Switzerland at the moment, with companies seeking out ways to attract skilled workers to their firms. According to the Swiss Job Radar, created by x28 AG, a career service based in Zurich,  almost 250.000 positions remained vacant in the first quarter of 2022.

IT, management, construction and sales employees are among the most wanted workers in Switzerland, but other skilled employees like electricians, carpenters and gardeners are also in short supply. The shortage of skilled workers is also “very acute” in the catering and hotel industry, where cooks in particularly are sorely needed, according to Claude Meier, director of the Hotellerie Suisse industry association.

COVID-19 pandemic saw many people change jobs

As is the case in many other countries around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland changed many peoples’ priorities, encouraging workers to quit or change jobs to careers that they are more passionate about. Especially in the Swiss healthcare sector, many have walked away from stressful, overworked jobs in the wake of the pandemic, as reflected by the 13.000 vacant nursing positions.

Labour market expert Daniel Kopp from the Economic Research Center at ETH Zurich said, "The end of the COVID measures led to very quick economic recovery," implying that since many companies are now hiring simultaneously, the shortage of workers is becoming more severe. “In many sectors, companies are complaining about recruitment difficulties and long vacancies," he added.