At the beginning of the Covid pandemic there was talk of closing Switzerland’s borders. However, it was clear that Swiss hospitals and businesses near Switzerland’s borders would not function without the workers who cross the border daily to work for them, and the notion was dropped. Statistics published this week by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) show the number of cross-border workers at record levels.
At the end of September 2024, around 403,000 people residing in France, Germany, Italy and further afield crossed into Switzerland to work. This figure is 2.4% higher than at the the same point in 2023. The total number has grown by 19% in the five years since 2019 when the figure was 339,000.
57% of cross-border workers were resident in France, 23% resident in Italy, 16% in Germany and another 4% from further afield. At 112,000 (28% of the total), the canton of Geneva had the largest number of cross-border workers. Many of these people are Swiss citizens, who in search of a lower cost of living, have decided to move across the border and retain their jobs in Switzerland.
The 403,000 cross-border workforce is equivalent to 4.5% of Switzerland’s population and 7.6% of the nation’s workforce.
More on this:
FSO article (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now
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