5 Reasons for Optimism about the Swiss Job Market in 2019

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Zurich, Tuesday, 8 January 2019. The war for talent on the Swiss job market is intensifying. Companies are investing significantly to attract and retain well-trained professionals. This is good news - especially for specialists. The Swiss Job Index and the Confidence Index of PageGroup provide 5 key reasons for optimism about Swiss labour market in 2019:
 

1. Advertised jobs have grown +18.9% year-on-year (December 2017 – December 2018): According to the Michael Page Swiss Job Index (December 2018), this is the third year in a row that advertised jobs have shown a positive double-digit growth.
2. Demand exceeds supply for many specialist jobs: IT, Pharma, Engineering. Key drivers for IT and engineering roles include industrial organisations converging, aligning and integrating their IT and Operational Technology (OT) environments as part of “Industry 4.0” and the Internet of Everything (IOE). The Fintech and Cybersecurity fields are also significant sources demand for IT developers. Pharma is a truly global, export-oriented industry that continues to invest for the long-term and drive demand for specialists in this field.
3. Interim and temporary jobs grew by 6.3% year-on-year (December 2017 – December 2018): It is now one of the top 5 categories of professional employment behind sales and business management and administration. This growth is good news as many interim jobs translate into full-time jobs. PageGroup expects this category to grow strongly in 2019 mainly because the war for talent is so strong in many fields that there is simply not enough candidates to undertake key projects. In addition, candidates have become increasingly open to interim and temporary employment. The PageGroup Confidence Index (Q3 2018), showed that two thirds of candidates are prepared to work on a temporary or interim basis. Key reasons cited achieving a working life balance and flexible conditions.
4. Companies are investing in sales jobs. The higher the investment in sales jobs, the greater business leaders’ confidence in increased demand and revenue streams. Advertised jobs in sales grew by 30.0% year-on-year across Switzerland – especially in specialist fields such as pharma, med-tech and IT.
5. All regions show strong growth in advertised jobs: Double digit year-on-year growth was seen in advertised jobs across all regions led by – the Mid region (+23.4%: BE, FR, JU, NE, SO), Lake Geneva (+23.0%: GE, VD, VS) and the Eastern region (+22.4%: (AI, AR, GL, GR, SG, SH, TG).

“With such strong growth for specialists, talent acquisition and retention will continue to be a challenge for employers in 2019. Given the shortages in many technical job categories, we highly recommend that employers and candidates consider all options – permanent, temporary and interim”, said Jérôme Bouin, Managing Director of PageGroup Switzerland.

Michael Page

Michael Page is a leading brand of the PageGroup, one of the world's pre-eminent professional recruitment consultancies. Listed on the London Stock Exchange (“PAGE”), PageGroup was established in Switzerland in 2001. The Michael Page team works closely with its clients to identify and place the best candidates for management positions. It also collaborates with PageGroup’s other operational brands to ensure that all client needs are met. This includes Page Personnel (graduates and first level specialists), and Page Executive (senior and executive management). Page Group has more than 152 offices worldwide including three Swiss offices in Zurich, Geneva and Lausanne.

Michael Page Swiss Job Index

The Michael Page Swiss Job Index measures the number of advertised vacancies on company sites throughout Switzerland. Introduced in January 2012, the Swiss Job Index provides a unique, comprehensive overview of the Swiss labour market and the most important monthly trends.

PageGroup Confidence Index

The PageGroup Confidence Index polls job applicants to identify their outlook regarding the labor market. This index covers only those candidates who actively applied for a job through Michael Page and Page Personnel websites. Initiated in Switzerland in July 2014, the now global study is conducted online and investigates the motivations of job applicants for changing jobs, their confidence in finding a new job and their expectations about the length of their job search. The survey covers approximately 18,000 questionnaires per quarter worldwide, more than 650 in Switzerland. 

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Michael Page is a brand of “Michael Page International (Switzerland) SA”.