The employment barometer reaches an all-time high – rts.ch

The absolute number of jobs rose 3.2% year on year in the second quarter of 2022, to a total of 5.316 million jobs, writes Friday the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). Compared to the same period last year, the number of positions increased by 164,000.

This is the most marked increase since the introduction of the statistics in its current form in 1991. In full-time equivalents, the progression experienced an identical rate of 3.2% to 4.142 million jobs, or 128′ 000 units more than in the second quarter of 2021.

Catch-up in accommodation and catering

Employment experienced particularly dynamic growth in accommodation and catering, with a jump of 17.3% corresponding to 37,000 more jobs, but the sector still shows a deficit of 11,000 jobs compared to the same period in 2019, i.e. before the pandemic.

Tertiary employment increased in all regions, while the number of jobs in the secondary sector fell by 1.9% in North-Western Switzerland and by 0.6% in Ticino. The number of vacant places for its part exploded, registering an increase of 45.5% to 39,900. The vacancy rate was 2.7% for the secondary sector and 2.3% for the tertiary sector.

Bright prospects

The outlook is also bright, with the proportion of companies intending to increase headcount rising from 12.2% to 15.9% in the space of a year. The employment development forecast indicator stood at 1.08, up 2.3%, and exceeded the threshold of 1.00 in all branches of activity and regions. An indicator above 1.00 implies an increase in employment.

Finally, companies are also finding it increasingly difficult to recruit qualified personnel, writes the FSO. The situation is particularly critical in the manufacturing industry.

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