• Despite the economic challenges, Swiss companies remain optimistic about the next three months: they reported a net employment outlook (NEO) of 33% for the first quarter of 2024. 

• Domestically oriented sectors such as information technology (62%) and finance and real estate (54%) show a positive outlook, while export-oriented sectors such as transport, logistics and automotive (25%) and energy and industry (23%) report a more moderate hiring outlook.

• The regions of Central Switzerland (45%) and Zurich (44%) have the strongest labour markets. The Ticino region, on the other hand, recorded a significant decline of 31 points compared to the previous quarter and 19 points compared to last year.

• 73% of Swiss employers are struggling to find the skilled labour they need. In order to attract and recruit qualified talent, employers are focussing primarily on job flexibility (48%), salary increases (30%) and exploring new talent pools (28%).

Every quarter, the ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey determines companies' forecasts for staffing levels in the coming quarter. Internationally, ManpowerGroup surveys approximately 40000 employers in 40 countries. In Switzerland, the national survey is conducted by Right Management Consultants. More than 500 employers from various industries were surveyed.