ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey

Key Findings

Swiss employers anticipate stable hiring plans for Q1 2026, with a Net Employment Outlook (NEO) of 27, up 1 point from the previous quarter but down 2 points year-over-year, reflecting cautious optimism amid economic uncertainty.
Globally, the NEO stands at 24 for Q1 2026, also up 1 point quarter-over-quarter but down 1 point year-over-year, based on ManpowerGroup's survey of over 39,000 employers across 41 countries.
Hiring slowdown is most pronounced among large organizations (5,000+ employees, NEO of 9) and sectors like Finance & Insurance (-19 points YoY) and Trade & Logistics (-24 points YoY), with regional declines in Espace Mittelland (-19 points).
Companies cite sufficient current staffing (31%), stable markets (24%), and no major expansions (21%) for maintaining levels, while expansions focus on backfilling (30%) and growth (25%).