Unemployment falls again

The number of people with jobs in Switzerland is increasing Keystone

Unemployment in Switzerland is at its lowest level since July 2004, according to the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco).

The jobless rate fell in June for the fifth month in a row, from 3.7 to 3.6 per cent. The number of jobseekers has also dropped.

At the end of the June 140,661 people were registered as unemployed, a decline of 4,709 on the previous month.

Geneva was the only canton to report a rise in unemployment – by 0.1 of a percentage point to 7.6 per cent.

In the same month the number of registered jobseekers nationwide went down by 3,767 to 210,257.

The number of job vacancies on the other hand went up slightly by 150 to 9,597.

According to figures from unemployment insurance agencies, the number of people whose entitlement to unemployment benefits ran out in April was 3,126.

Of those, 894 were still registered at a regional work-placement centre at the end of June and 468 had managed to find a new job.

The remaining registered 1,764 people not receiving benefits could be explained by their having found gainful employment, started or continued further education, gone abroad or continued jobseeking without informing a work placement centre.

swissinfo with agencies

Key facts

In June 140,661 people in Switzerland were registered as unemployed in job centres, a drop of 4,709 for the month.
The unemployment rate dropped from 3.7 to 3.6 per cent.
In the same month the number of people registered as looking for a job went down by 3,767 to 210,257.

In brief

Seco defines “unemployed” as non-gainfully employed people who are registered at a cantonal job centre and are immediately placeable.

A “jobseeker” is any employed or unemployed person who is registered at a regional work-placement centre and who is looking for a job.