Global Tariff Dispute Weighs On Swiss Labour Market

2025-09-17 04:15:10

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) According to a survey, the outlook for the Swiss labour market has cooled considerably. Employers are cutting back on staff due to economic concerns and are focusing more on temporary employees. This content was published on September 17, 2025 - 09:28 3 minutes Keystone-SDA

Deutsch de Globaler Zollstreit belastet Schweizer Arbeitsmarkt Original Read more: Globaler Zollstreit belastet Schweizer Arbeitsmark

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Swiss employers surveyed by the recruitment agency Manpower expect a significant decline in willingness to hire in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to a press release issued by the recruitment agency on Wednesday. The net employment outlook is 26%, which is 7 percentage points lower than in the same period last year.

The survey was conducted from July 1-31, 2025 – and thus before the introduction of US import tariffs of 39% on Swiss goods. However, expectations were already suffering from the customs disputes at the time. The sharp decline“underscores the impact of global trade volatility, rising costs and demographic challenges on workforce planning”, according to Manpower.

Temporary workers and automation

According to the latest employment forecast, companies in Switzerland are increasingly turning to temporary workers and consultants to maintain their competitiveness. This is particularly true for specialised functions and in operational support.

At the same time, more than half (52%) of employers in Switzerland are planning to increase the automation of tasks and processes over the next twelve months. They hope this will increase efficiency and resilience.

More More Trade policy Explainer: How the new US tariffs are already impacting the Swiss economy

This content was published on Sep 8, 2025 On August 1, US President Donald Trump announced a tariff of 39% for Switzerland. The effects are slowly becoming visible.

Read more: Explainer: How the new US tariffs are already impacting the Swiss econom

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