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AI blamed for falling Swiss job vacancies

Number of vacancies is falling, AI has an impact in offices
Number of vacancies is falling, AI has an impact in offices Keystone-SDA

The expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) may explain a slowdown in the Swiss labour market, says staffing firm Adecco.

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According to a regular analysis by Adecco, the number of vacancies fell by 0.2% in the second quarter compared to the previous three months and by 5.6% year-on-year.

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The Swiss Job Market Index, the indicator calculated by Adecco and the University of Zurich, stood at a value of 133, a statement today said.

“According to the KOF economic report, the Swiss economy came to a near standstill in the second quarter, penalised by declining exports and rising US tariffs,” Adecco’s Marcel Keller said. “However, the number of vacancies in the third quarter decreased only moderately and unemployment rate rose only slightly. This could be due to the stabilising effect of consumption trends and the introduction of short-time work.”

The current study focuses on office and administrative occupations, which constitute the largest occupational group in Switzerland and are essential for central processes in companies and the public sector.

At the same time, however, these professions are also particularly exposed to developments in the field of AI: thus, it emerges that in the space of two years (i.e. since 2023) the number of vacancies in the branch has fallen by 17.4%.

“A higher tertiary education does not automatically protect against the influence of AI,” warn Adecco’s experts. To cope with the situation, they note a priority given to continuing education for data- and process-related skills, an increase in information work on the topic of artificial intelligence and a redefinition of job roles.

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Translated from Italian by DeepL/mga

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