(01.10.2025) The Swiss economy experienced a mixed second quarter in 2025. Overall turnover fell by 2% compared with the same period a year earlier, while employment grew by only 0.1%, according to the Federal Statistical Office.
Industry recorded a 1.4% decline in turnover and a 1.1% drop in jobs. Construction performed better, with turnover rising by 0.3% and employment by 0.9%. Overall, the secondary sector posted a 1.2% fall in turnover and a 0.4% decline in employment.
The services sector was not spared from turbulence, posting a 2.5% year-on-year fall in turnover, while employment increased by 0.4%. The situation varied across branches: retail trade, for example, registered a modest 0.4% increase in turnover, but this was offset by a marked 1.5% decline in employment.
In the longer term, the figures confirm the structural difficulties of mechanical engineering, once a key driver of Swiss industrial growth. Since 2015, turnover in this branch has risen by only 11.2%, compared with 32.3% for the secondary sector as a whole. This considerable gap points to a sustained loss of competitiveness.
In mechanical engineering, employment has contracted by 2.9% over the past decade, whereas industry overall has added 3.3% more jobs over the same period. The trend continued in Q2 2025: turnover in mechanical engineering grew by 0.7%, but employment posted a sharp 3.5% decline – far steeper than the 0.4% fall recorded in the secondary sector as a whole.
Last modification 01.10.2025
