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Swiss Labour Market: Job Index signals stabilisation but no real relief

15 minutes

January 29, 2026 - 7:00 AM

Foggy riverside scene of historic buildings along the water in a European city, with church towers partially obscured by mist.

The Adecco Group Swiss Job Market Index shows only a slight uptick in Q4 2025 compared to the previous quarter Q3 2025 (+1.8%), and a moderate increase compared to the same quarter of the previous year, Q4 2024 (+2.4%). Overall, however, the Swiss labour market remains selective: while certain occupational groups – such as healthcare professions, managers and personal services – are growing, others are seeing a decline in job postings, including university‑level ICT professions and skilled workers in administration, commerce and business services. 

Important context note: all statements on occupational groups are based on a year‑on‑year comparison between 2024 and 2025 (aggregate Q1–Q4 2025 vs. Q1–Q4 2024). The Job Index itself focuses on the quarterly change (Q4 2025 vs. Q3 2025) as well as the year‑on‑year quarterly change (Q4 2025 vs. Q4 2024). 

Regionally, the picture is mixed: in key economic centres such as Zurich (–8%) and Northwestern Switzerland (–10%) declines are pronounced, whereas Central Switzerland shows slight growth and job postings in knowledge‑intensive fields increase above average. Leading indicators point to some stabilisation, but not yet a trend reversal. The economic environment remains subdued: employment and labour force participation are stagnating, and unemployment is trending upwards. For HR and business leaders, this means sharpening prioritisation in recruitment and upskilling, planning workforce needs more proactively, and adopting a consistently data‑driven approach.

Map of 5 major regions of Switzerland with regional changes

Tips for HR professionals and executives for 2026 workforce planning 

  • Think skills, not roles: focus recruitment and development decisions on critical competencies (e.g., data‑driven, coordination‑related or patient‑facing skills), rather than on rigid job profiles. 
  • Use regional talent pools strategically: tap into growth regions (e.g., Central Switzerland for IT/social sciences/natural sciences) for remote, hybrid or satellite teams. 
  • Retrain and mobilise internally early: systematically develop employees from declining occupational areas (e.g., administration/KV) into future‑proof roles. 

A note of our own: in a selective market, permanent employees provide stability, knowledge building and team cohesion. Especially when projects run longer, clients expect continuity, and sensitive processes should not need to be relearned repeatedly. Our permanent placement service supports you in securing suitable profiles for the long term and accessing broader regional talent pools – solidly, discreetly and data‑driven. Contact us now!  

Read the whole report here (in German or French)

To the Job Index