(12.11.2025) Switzerland’s labor market remains under pressure from the economic climate and technological advances. In the third quarter of 2025, the number of job openings fell by 5.6% year-on-year, according to the Swiss Job Market Index compiled by Adecco and the University of Zurich.
Administrative sectors have seen the sharpest contraction, with hiring down 17.4% per year between 2023 and 2025. Office roles involving customer contact have been hardest hit, with a 30.6% annual decline affecting tellers, call centers, and reception services. Administrative management positions (-25% per year), general office and secretarial work (-24.8% per year), and other administrative occupations such as human resources and documentation (-23.6% per year) have also recorded steep losses. Only public administration has maintained relative stability.
These trends reflect the ongoing technological transformation driven by digitalization and the growing use of artificial intelligence, which are exposing many of these roles to automation.
The study’s authors note one exception: commercial service agents, whose job postings have increased by 12.2% per year. This growth is driven by occupations that require specific expertise and industry knowledge less easily replaced by automation, such as business matchmaking, contract negotiation for cultural services, advertising placement, and the organization of events and travel.
According to a report by the International Labour Organization, even some occupations with moderate exposure to automation are seeing job postings stagnate or decline. Employment trends also depend on non-technological factors such as economic slowdown and sector-specific efficiency gains.
Last modification 11.11.2025
