(08.03.2023) The number of people employed in Switzerland rose slightly to 5.242 million at the end of 2022. According to the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), the unemployment rate (ILO) stood at 4.1% in Q4 2022, 0.3 percentage points lower than the previous year.
This decline in the unemployment rate, calculated in accordance with the International Labor Office (ILO), was also seen within the European Union (-0.4 points to 6%) in Q4 2022, compared to the same period in 2021.
Men were the main beneficiaries of this increase in the number of employed persons (+1.6%), while women saw a decline of 0.2%. The number of equivalent full-time jobs rose by 1.2%, with a greater impact on women (+1.7%) than on men (+0.8%).
This increase was mainly driven by foreign workers. The proportion of those in employment rose by 10.3% among short-term residents (L permit, living in Switzerland for less than a year), by 6.1% among cross-border commuters (G permit), and by 3.5% among those with a residence permit (L or B permit, living in Switzerland for more than a year).
In addition, the unemployment rate fell slightly among 15 to 24-year-olds year-on-year (-1 point to 6.7 percent). For those aged 25-49, the rate remained stable (4.2%), while for the 50-64 age group, unemployment was down slightly (-0.6 points to 3.4%).
Unemployment among those with no post-compulsory education fell by 0.6 percentage points to 7.8%, and by 0.7 percentage points to 3.8% among those with an upper secondary (Level II) diploma (CFC, vocational or gymnasium matriculation, etc.). However, unemployment rose slightly (+0.3 percentage points) among tertiary graduates (HES, HEP, Universities) to 3.3%.
Unemployment also lasted for a shorter time: the median duration fell from 288 days in Q4 2021 to 195 days in Q4 2022.
Last modification 08.03.2023
