Switzerland seems to offer it all for the international worker – a very high standard of living, great pay, excellent infrastructure and stunning natural beauty in the heart of Europe. The question is, are they hiring?
We examine what you’re most likely to find a job doing as an English-speaker in Switzerland, and get an insight on the job market from one sector popular with new arrivals.
What and where – theoretically – are the jobs?
Thanks to a combination of geography – being right in the middle of Europe – politics and history, Switzerland is a country where a number of large companies and research organisations are based.
Banking, of course, is a Swiss strength. UBS and Raiffeisen are two local powerhouses, but there are also a significant number of private banks catering to an affluent clientele.
Most global banks also have one or more offices – many of them in the nation’s financial capital, Zurich.
Pharmaceuticals are another area in which Switzerland excels – it constitutes around five percent of the country’s gross domestic product.
Swiss pharmaceutical giants include Roche and Novartis, with smaller, more specialised companies numbering in the hundreds, if not thousands.
READ ALSO: ‘10,000 job vacancies’: Where are workers in Switzerland most needed?
Many of these are based in or near the city of Basel, and as a consequence, many international pharmaceutical companies also have a presence there.
The so-called ‘Health Valley’, stretching from Geneva eastwards towards Montreux is also home to over a thousand companies in the medical and life sciences field.
Switzerland is also a leader in research and education, with several universities among the world’s top-ranked for research and innovation.
Top employers in scientific research include the Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne, Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, the University of Zurich, the University of Basel and the University of Bern.
Leading business schools such as the International Institute for Management Development, the University fo St Gallen and the Swiss Business School also employ a significant number of educators and international support staff.
Advertisement
International organisations and sports bodies
Switzerland is home to scores of international organisations which are a great place to search for jobs, albeit Donald Trump’s cuts to US aid budgets have greatly impacted UN organisations in Geneva. Many are being forced to cut jobs.
Switzerland is also home to scores of international sporting agencies that can offer a way in for English speakers.
Advertisement
Signs of trouble?
If you’re an IT worker, however, be wary. Despite the relative concentration of executive-level and research jobs within Switzerland, the events of the last few years have seen tech jobs take a beating.
Greg Tomasik, founder of job board SwissDevJobs.ch told The Local: “The IT job market is currently much worse than in the beginning of 2023.
“Starting in 2020 there was a big bull run in the job market, up until mid 2022. After that, the bubble started losing air.
“Currently, there are around 30 percent less open roles compared to the beginning of 2023. On the other hand, the average number of candidates per job doubled, from 14 to 28.”
If you are seeking tech-related jobs, however, one area does stand out.
Greg continues: “The Greater Zurich area remains the main economic hub in Switzerland. It is also where most of the tech roles are located.
“We also see some rise in crypto-related roles in Zug area since most of the crypto companies are located there.”
Greg Tomasik, founder of SwissDevJobs.ch
With more candidates for fewer jobs, Greg has some focused advice for those looking for a Swiss tech job.
“Try to make sure that you fit the essential requirements. In the application, try to highlight that you meet the requirements and add a few sentences why you are applying specifically to this company,” he said.
“Only a small fraction of candidates do it, and you will definitely stand out if you go to the effort.
“One more thing, especially for junior candidates: learn the AI coding tools and stay on top of current trends. Tools like Copilot replace much of the work that was previously done by junior software engineers, and now they also need to adapt.”
READ ALSO: Why is Switzerland’s chronic labour shortage worsening?
