Post Office takes lead in job creation
The Post Office has emerged as Switzerland's biggest creator of jobs. Between January 1999 and June this year, the company took on 2,639 new staff.
The fourth survey of job-creating companies by the business publication, Bilanz, shows the American fast food chain, McDonalds, knocked off the top spot for the first time. It fell to fifth position after taking on just over 500 people in the same time period.
The booming telecommunications sector took second and third position. Diax added 1,262 people to its payroll, while Orange took on 1,112.
The banking and insurance sector also played a part in returning Switzerland to near full employment. The Association of Raiffeisen Banks created 634 new jobs to take fourth place.
Together the Post Office and the two telecommunications firms accounted for around seven per cent of the jobs created in the 18-month period.
There are still plenty of job vacancies to be filled. Around two thirds of the companies that took part in the survey said they needed more staff.
But high-tech companies and the telecommunications sector are finding it difficult to recruit suitably qualified people. Orange and Diax have more than 600 openings between them.
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