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Fight against skills shortage is insufficient, says Swiss audit office

Fight against skills shortage is insufficient according to financial control
The fight against skills shortage is insufficient, according to the government's audit office. Keystone-SDA

The Swiss government has been providing the economy with financial support for years to alleviate the shortage of skilled workers. In a report the Swiss Federal Audit Office concludes that these measures have only had a limited effect. There is still a need for action, it says.

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Since 2011 the government has launched two different programmes to combat the shortage of skilled workers and to promote the domestic workforce – at a cost of several hundred million francs. The Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO) has now audited these measures.

+ How Switzerland plans to tackle its labour shortage

In its report published on Monday, the SFAO notes that the government, other authorities and the economy have been paying attention to signs of a shortage of skilled workers for many years. However, the measures taken have not been able to remedy the shortage of skilled workers in the sectors examined, it said.

In its statement on the report, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) says that the measures examined by the SFAO “are deliberately not aimed at remedying sector-specific shortages”. Overall, the federal government provides largely suitable framework conditions for the economy, SECO said.

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