(13.05.2026) The Swiss labor market continues to stabilize. In the first quarter of 2026, the number of job vacancies increased by +0.7% compared with the same quarter in 2025, and by +0.8% year-on-year, according to the Swiss Job Market Index.
Complementing this index, the KOF employment indicator shows that more companies are planning to create jobs rather than reduce them. The situation remains challenging, however: the unemployment rate stood at 3.2% in February 2026 (+0.3 percentage points year-on-year), and GDP is expected to grow by only 1% in 2026.
Based on an analysis of more than one million job postings published in Switzerland between 2015 and 2026, a study by the Adecco Group and the University of Zurich finds that demand for cross-functional skills (teamwork, autonomy, analytical thinking, etc.) is increasing. Since 2022, the share of job postings mentioning these skills has exceeded 60%. At the same time, formal knowledge requirements (such as knowledge of business administration or ICT) have declined, from 25% in 2015 to less than 23% in 2026.
Among the most sought-after cross-functional skills are proactivity and initiative, teamwork, and a willingness to learn. Social services roles, as well as sales and retail occupations, are recording the most significant growth. By contrast, skilled trades and industrial roles show a negative trend in terms of cross-functional skills.
According to the authors, this overall increase in demand is only partly driven by artificial intelligence. Occupations most exposed to AI are also those that require fewer cross-functional skills. These developments point to a long-term structural transformation within job profiles themselves, regardless of the degree of automation.
Last modification 13.05.2026
