The Job Index Shows a Slight Stabilisation in the Swiss Job Market

The Adecco Group Swiss Job Market Index records a slight increase of 1.8 percent in job vacancies compared to the previous quarter (Q3 2025) and a moderate increase of 2.4 percent compared to the previous year's quarter (Q4 2024). At best, this indicates a slight stabilisation of the labour market in economically uncertain times, as the moderate increase of the KOF Employment Indicator of ETH Zurich suggests. This means that more companies plan to build jobs rather than reduce them. Overall, employment prospects remain subdued.

Marcel Keller, Country President of the Adecco Group Switzerland, explains: 'The current Job Index shows that the growth of the Swiss economy remains below average despite a slight economic stabilisation at the end of 2025. Private consumption continues to be supportive, favoured by rising real wages and very low inflation, while industry, exports, and investments remain weak in the tense international environment. Accordingly, the situation in the job market is tense: Employment and workforce participation stagnate and unemployment rises. Leading indicators like the Job Index point to some stabilisation, but so far not to any turnaround.'

National Development by Occupational Groups Year-on-Year

Overall, Switzerland records a 4 percent decrease in job vacancies compared to the previous year (Q1-Q4 2025 compared to Q1-Q4 2024). The largest increases at the national level are in health university professions (+10%; e.g., doctors and nursing professionals), followed by executives (+6%) and personal services professionals (+4%; e.g., midwives, health and nursing professionals or security personnel). The most significant decreases are seen in commercial, administrative, and trading professionals (-20%; e.g., sales professionals, accounting professionals), IT university professions (-18%; e.g., software and application developers and analysts or database developers and administrators), as well as business university professions (-10%; e.g., financial analysts, marketing and advertising professionals).

Regions in Focus: Declining Job Numbers Year-on- Year in Almost All Major Regions

Year-on-year, almost all major regions show declining job numbers. Only Central Switzerland recorded a slight increase of +1%. Moderate decreases are seen in Southwestern Switzerland (-1%), Eastern Switzerland (-2%), and the Espace Mittelland (-3%). The declines are more pronounced in economically significant centres such as Zurich (-8%) and Northwestern Switzerland (-10%).

Central Switzerland (+1%): University professions in IT (+35%), social sciences (+28%; e.g., teachers, lawyers), and natural sciences (+21%; e.g., chemists, life scientists, mechanical engineers, civil engineers) grow significantly. Meanwhile, assembly and assistant professionals (-27%; e.g., machine operators, bus and tram drivers) show the most significant decrease in vacancies, followed by commercial, administrative, and trading professionals (-24%) and construction and expansion professionals (-20%; e.g., carpenters, roofers, or electricians and electronics technicians).

Southwestern Switzerland (-1%): A significant increase in job postings is observed for personal services professionals (+33%) and health university professions (+13%) as well as assembly and assistant professionals (+13%). In contrast, job vacancies in commercial, administrative, and trading professions (-21%), hospitality and sales (-19%) and natural sciences university professions (-17%) decline significantly.

Eastern Switzerland (-2%): The largest increases are recorded for health university professions (+34%) and assembly and assistant professionals (+25%) and construction and expansion professions (+23%). Meanwhile, natural sciences university professions (-33%), IT (-24%) and hospitality and sales (-22%) show significant declines.

Espace Mittelland (-3%): A significant increase is seen in office professionals (+20%), health university professions (+19%), and executives (+16%). Meanwhile, IT university professions (-40%), commercial, administrative, and trading professionals (-29%) as well as assembly and assistant professionals (-22%) show strong declines.

Zurich (-8%): Increases are mainly seen for executives (+20%) and craft and industry professionals (+14%; e.g., polymechanics, watchmakers, explosives experts and supervisors) and in construction and expansion (+10%). Meanwhile, commercial, administrative, and trading professionals (-27%), business university professions (-22%) and social university professions and assembly and assistant professionals (both -16%) show significant declines.

Northwestern Switzerland (-10%): Increases are limited to assembly and assistant professionals (+7%) and health university professions (+2%). Meanwhile, declines are particularly significant for commercial, administrative, and trading professionals (-36%), social university professions (-31%), and IT (-23%).

The Swiss job market remains under pressure at the end of 2025. The development suggests a more selective job market, characterised by structural changes, demographic effects, and persistently subdued economic dynamics.

Media Contact
Media Office of the Adecco Group Switzerland
Tel. +41 79 560 48 32, press.office@adeccogroup.ch
Job Market Monitor Switzerland, University of Zurich
Johanna Bolli-Kemper, Tel. +41 44 635 23 02, bolli-kemper@soziologie.uzh.ch

About the Adecco Group Swiss Job Market Index (Job Index) In collaboration with the Job Market Monitor Switzerland (SMM) at the Department of Sociology of the University of Zurich, Adecco Group Switzerland publishes the Adecco Group Swiss Job Market Index (Job Index) in January, April, July, and October. The Job Index provides Switzerland with a scientifically-based and comprehensive metric for the development of job offers in online job portals and company websites. It is based on representative quarterly surveys of job ads in the press, online job portals, and company websites.

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