The industry lobby group SwissmemExternal link reported on Thursday that 4,500 additional jobs were generated in 2017 compared to the previous year, taking the industry total to 322,100. In contrast, 12,600 jobs were cut in 2015 and 2016 combined.
Last year also saw a 9.4% increase in turnover over 2016. In the fourth quarter alone, orders increased by a hefty 29.4%.
“The industry hasn’t done so well in a long time,” said Swissmem in a statement. Yet it cautioned that the recent months of recovery were not enough to compensate for losses of the past few years. In order to invest in the future, the industry now needs a longer period of growth with significantly better margins, points out Swissmem.
Total exports from the Swiss mechanical, electrical and metal industries increased by 5.5% in 2017, and by 5.9% to European Union countries and 7.4% to the United States.
Swiss money laundering office registers record number of reports
This content was published on
The Money Laundering Reporting Office Switzerland (MROS) registered a record number of reports of suspicious activity last year.
Two teens accused of planning terror attack released from custody
This content was published on
The Schaffhausen judiciary has released the two teenagers from custody who allegedly planned bomb attacks in Switzerland.
OECD: Sluggish economic activity slowing growth in Switzerland
This content was published on
Sluggish economic activity at the start of the year is weighing on growth in Switzerland, with GDP expected to fall to 1.1% in 2024.
Report finds mistakes which led to Swiss government data breach
This content was published on
Mistakes were made by both the government and internet company Xplain in the case of a criminal cyber-attack on the Bern-based IT business.
Swiss government wants better gender balance in federal administration
This content was published on
New Swiss government personnel management targets say there must be even more female managers in the federal administration.
Swiss national science foundation funded over 5,000 projects in 2023
This content was published on
In 2023, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) provided a total of CHF961 million worth of funding towards research projects.
Switzerland invites 160 delegations to June Ukraine peace talks
This content was published on
Russia is currently not among the delegations invited to talks aimed at helping bring about peace in the conflict between Moscow and Ukraine.
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.
Read more
More
Should robots be taxed for stealing jobs?
This content was published on
If death and taxes are the only two things that a person can count on, should the latter apply to robots as well, as they take over human jobs?
This content was published on
Swiss Economics Minister Johann Schneider-Ammann and Navdeep Bains, Canada’s minister for innovation, science and economic development, signed the joint declaration on Thursday while at the WEF meeting in Davos. The document is meant to serve as a reference for how the two governments work together in future. During a roundtable event in Davos, the ministers…
Swiss manufacturers give cautiously optimistic outlook
This content was published on
The uptick in sentiment has been driven mainly by 9.6% increase in orders in the first half of this year, compared to the same period in 2015. As a result, more than a third of such firms are feeling confident about business prospects in the next 12 months, according to industry lobby group SwissmemExternal link.…
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.