Find a job in Switzerland

Working in Switzerland

Cheese, chocolate, clocks and famed for its neutrality aside, there is so much more to Switzerland than meets the eye. Home to a population of 8.4 million people – most of who speak English along with at least one of the country’s four official languages – Switzerland has one of the most stable economies in the world and an unemployment rate that constantly hovers around the 3% mark – one of the lowest not just in Europe, but the world. While the cost of living is high, the wages are too. Indeed, Zurich pays the highest wages of anywhere in the world and Switzerland itself has been named the most competitive economy in the world each year since 2008. Against this backdrop it is easy to see why Switzerland ticks most if not all of the boxes for those looking to take the next step of their career overseas. But competition for jobs is high and opportunities for overseas workers are limited. This is because the Swiss economy already has a highly skilled workforce, so most jobs that are held by foreign workers tend to be with one of the many international organisations that are based there. With only a limited number of managerial and specialist disciplines recruited for, those that are available are predominantly within the consulting, banking and finance sectors that make up a large proportion of the income Switzerland generates from overseas. The IT, telecoms, pharmaceuticals and engineering sectors also provide a number of opportunities in Switzerland as do the more recent growth areas of construction, property and aviation.