The new year has not even started yet, but a number of companies and organisations based in Switzerland have already announced they will be laying off employees in 2026.
Switzerland has long been known for its robust labour market, with consistently low unemployment rates.
But that will change in 2026.
Based on recent forecasts from the KOF Economic Institute, Swiss employment growth is projected to be slow and below average, with the unemployment rate expected to rise to 3.2 percent from the current 2.9 percent.
These companies and organisations will scrap jobs in 2026 and beyond:
Novartis
The pharmaceutical giant plans to cut 550 jobs in Switzerland by the end of 2027.
Two of its plants near Basel will be affected by these redundancies, as the company needs to generate money to invest in “innovative therapies used particularly for cardiovascular, renal and metabolic diseases.”
READ ALSO: Novartis to cut 550 jobs in Switzerland to focus on cell therapy
Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG/RTS)
The national broadcaster announced that it would cut some 900 jobs over the next three years as it strives to reduce costs.
It pointed to “major challenges,” including the Swiss government’s decision to cut the public media licence that provides a large chunk of its revenue, as well as falling commercial revenues.
“We regret these job cuts,” SRG chief Susanne Wille said in a statement, explaining that “the political decisions and the context in which our company operates leave us no other choice”.
READ ALSO: Swiss public broadcaster to slash 900 jobs by 2029
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International organisations
UN agencies in Geneva have already had to dismiss a number of employees as the US vowed to “end funding for certain United Nations organisations.”
And this trend will continue in 2026:
- At the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF): 300 jobs will be relocated to Rome
- At the World Health Organisation (WHO), 800 people will be made redundant
These latest cuts are just the tip of the iceberg, however,; other Geneva organisations have already felt repercussions of the US policy:
READ ALSO: How many jobs have been lost in Geneva’s international agencies?
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But that’s not all
A study carried out in October 2025 indicates that more than a third (37 percent) of companies could cut jobs in Switzerland over the coming 12 months, and a similar percentage (35 percent) are anticipating shifting Swiss jobs to other countries.
Among them is Switzerland’s biggest telecommunications operator, Swisscom.
As reported by 20 Minutes news platform, “many Swisscom IT jobs are to be relocated to Latvia and the Netherlands.”
In all, between 1,000 and 1,400 people are expected to be employed in Riga and Rotterdam in the medium term, where salaries are lower than in Switzerland.
What impact will this ‘industrial migration’ have on Switzerland?
If jobs are moved abroad, the logical effect would be an increase in unemployment.
But not only.
“This type of relocation could ultimately have an impact on the growth potential of the Swiss economy,” said UBS economist Maxime Botteron.
