The unemployment rate for young people, aged 15 to 24, decreased by 0.1 percentage point compared to the previous month, to reach 2.6%. That of seniors (50 to 64 years old) amounted to 2.3%, or 0.1 percentage point more than the previous month. At 4.6%, the unemployment rate for foreigners rose by 0.2 percentage points compared to the previous month, while for the Swiss it remained at 1.7%.
In October, 34,471 advertisements for vacant positions were made to the regional employment offices (ORP). Among them, 16,476 concerned positions subject to the notification obligation, for sectors in which the unemployment rate is greater than 5%. Over one year, this figure is down by around a quarter.
The professions for which vacant places are subject to an announcement obligation are very varied. The list, which evolves each year, includes, among others, event organizers, call center employees, receptionists and several construction trades.
Regional disparities
By region, in French-speaking Switzerland and Ticino, unemployment stood at 3.5%, compared to 3.0% a year earlier, while in German-speaking Switzerland, it rose to 2.1%, after 1.7% in October 2023.
The cantons of Jura, Geneva, Neuchâtel and Vaud all recorded an unemployment rate greater than or equal to 4.0%. The strongest annual increase was recorded in Neuchâtel, where unemployment rose from 2.7% to 4.0% in the space of one year.
Note, however, that the calculation of unemployment differs depending on the cantons, a minority including unemployed people benefiting from certain social assistance, which has the effect of increasing the unemployment rate. Thus, within the cantons of Vaud, Neuchâtel and Geneva, the rate would be lower. Conversely, the sparsely populated cantons of Obwalden, Nidwalden and Appenzell Innerrhoden recorded an unemployment rate of 1.0% or less.
In August, around 2,500 people exhausted their rights to unemployment benefits, an increase of 1.8% compared to the previous month. Furthermore, 278 companies had measures to reduce working hours in August, affecting 4,256 employees, or 12.3% less than in July. Seco expects an unemployment rate of 2.4% for the whole of 2024, then an increase to 2.6% in 2025.
