The Swiss voice in the world since 1935

Swiss business group sounds alarm over labour shortages

Textile business in Switzerland.
The Swiss textile industry finds it extremely hard to recruit qualified staff, says the president of Swiss Textiles, Carl Illi. © Keystone / Christian Beutler

The Swiss Business Federation, economiesuisse, has warned that labour shortages currently experienced in many sectors are likely to get worse.

In Switzerland, many companies are understaffed and unable to fill certain positions, across almost all sectors. At a press event in Bern on Monday, the Swiss corporate lobby group economiesuisse and its partners warned about the consequences of the worsening skills shortages.

Demographic trends are the main concern among business circles, says economiesuisse. In the coming years, the retirement of so-called “baby boomers” – people born between 1946-1964 – will not be offset by younger workers, economiesuisse President Christoph Mäder told reporters.

+ Swiss industry faces record shortage of skilled workers

The lobby group estimates a shortfall of 431,000 people on the Swiss labour market between now and 2040, the equivalent of 8% of the working population.

This represents a challenge not only for businesses, but also for the financing of Swiss pensions, Mäder said.

+ Swiss firms struggle with staff shortages

Solutions to overcome labour shortages

The free movement of persons model has “proved its worth” and should be maintained, say economiesuisse, the Swiss Employers’ Association and the Swiss Textiles association. But the organisations believe that immigration alone will not fill the growing gap in the labour market.

They propose efforts to increase Swiss productivity, which would in turn lead to higher wages. Switzerland must also invest more in research and innovation and regulate less, they argue.

The economy also needs to make better use of people currently living in Switzerland. And efforts must be made to improve the family-work balance, and create further incentives to keep older workers in the labour market for longer, say business groups.

They also urge the federal government, cantons and state-run industries to curb recent strong employment growth in the numbers of civil servants and government officials, which they say is taking valuable skills away from private industry.

More

Debate
Hosted by: Samuel Jaberg

How should we tackle the shortage of skilled workers in Switzerland?

Are you also affected in your company or your field of work? Tell us about your experiences!

50 Likes
125 Comments
View the discussion

Popular Stories

Most Discussed

News

F/A-18 take-offs and landings at Bern-Belp Airport

More

F/A-18s take off and land at Bern Airport

This content was published on The Swiss Armed Forces are training their fighter jets in Bern to fly from a civilian base. The exercise at Bern Airport will last until Wednesday.

Read more: F/A-18s take off and land at Bern Airport
cern

More

Plans materialise for new particle accelerator in Geneva

This content was published on Preparations for a huge new particle accelerator in Geneva have reached a milestone. After several years of work, a feasibility study for the project has now been finalised.

Read more: Plans materialise for new particle accelerator in Geneva
More Russian assets frozen in Switzerland

More

More Russian assets frozen in Switzerland

This content was published on The value of frozen Russian assets in Switzerland currently stands at CHF7.4 billion ($8.4 billion), the Swiss government announced on Tuesday.

Read more: More Russian assets frozen in Switzerland
Increase in business start-ups in the 1st quarter

More

Increase in Swiss business start-ups in Q1

This content was published on The number of business start-ups in Switzerland accelerated in the first three months of the year, with entrepreneurs being particularly dynamic in Central Switzerland, Basel and Geneva.

Read more: Increase in Swiss business start-ups in Q1

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!

If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR