Skilled tradespeople and technicians are particularly in demand in Switzerland right now, a new labour market analysis reveals.
Job vacancies in trades and technical professions “have shown particularly strong long-term growth,” according to the Swiss Job Market Index, compiled by Adecco recruitment agency in collaboration with the University of Zurich.
Furthermore, these sectors “continue to offer strong prospects, even in a challenging economic environment,” the study found, also noting that one of the appeals of these ‘hands-on’ fields is “low exposure to AI-driven automation.”
READ MORE: How Artificial Intelligence is re-shaping job application process in Switzerland
The number of open positions in these particular fields has increased by 131 percent on average, which is more than four times the growth recorded in overall job vacancies.
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In which particular jobs is demand highest?
The Index recorded the strongest growth (+173 percent) among building and finishing trades workers, including sheet metal workers, plumbing and heating installers, as well as carpenters..
Lower – but still significant – increase (+134 percent) is found among electricians and electronics technicians, followed by motor vehicle mechanics (+127).
What else did the study reveal?
It found that in the crafts and arts area, “growth is driven by furniture manufacturing and woodworking – activities partly linked to the construction industry and dependent on domestic demand – as well as by watchmaking, which is more reliant on exports.”
What is general situation, in terms of jobs. in Switzerland right now?
KOF Economic Institute is reporting “encouraging employment forecasts” in the third quarter of 2026, with this positive assessment extending into the autumn.
KOF’s finding is, however, different from Adecco’s, in terms of most in-demand professions.
It said that “the retail sector has seen the biggest jump, returning to positive territory for the first time since the second quarter of 2024.”
Construction sector is also doing well. KOF said.
But there is negative news as well
Though Switzerland overall unemployment rate remains lower than in the EU (3 percent versus 6.1 percent), many companies have been cutting jobs – a trend that will continue into 2027.
The most massive dismissals are affecting UBS Bank, where some 3,000 employees have already lost their jobs in Switzerland; Swiss Life insurance company (600 jobs); Sunrise telecom (450); and Zimmer Biomet (490) – among others.
READ MORE: More companies in Switzerland announce jobs cuts this autumn
