Switzerland faces massive skills shortage
Based on current demographic trends, Switzerland will be short 400,000 workers by 2030, a trade union-commissioned study has found.
According to Travail Suisse, the Swiss quality of life is threatened by future staff shortages in key areas such as health, care of the elderly, education, policing and transport.
The study comes as the rightwing Swiss People’s Party announced it would launch an anti-immigration campaign this election year.
Party leaders on Monday said they wanted to re-introduce a quota system for immigration even though it would go against the Swiss-European Union free movement of people agreement.
To avoid over-reliance on immigration, Travail Suisse advocates more favourable working conditions for older and part-time workers to help increase their working potential.
More investment is needed to promote the health and training of these workers as well as arrangements that make it easier to combine work and family responsibilities, the trade union says.
Economics Minister Johann Schneider-Ammann last week announced he would convene a task force to examine ways to address Switzerland’s skills shortage over the next decade.
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