A dormant demographic
Switzerland attracts these migrants not only because its economy is thriving, but also because its demographics are slumbering. The number of people reaching the retirement age of 65 is higher than those entering the job market. This is not the case everywhere, the study underlines, taking the example of Norway “where aging trends are less pronounced and where natural population growth is more sustained”. This Nordic country is not an exception: “If the Swiss have still managed to increase their professional activity in recent years, the opportunities were rather limited, in comparison with Belgium or the Netherlands for example, where the drop in unemployment and the development of untapped potential have boosted growth.” In short: these countries better exploited indigenous labor before importing workers.
These Europeans who came to Switzerland hold jobs at both extremes of the qualification spectrum. The document notes “a high share of highly qualified workers: many of them carry out demanding activities in booming economic sectors, such as specialized, scientific and technical services, information and communication or health”. The Swiss economy also “depends on the recruitment of EU immigrants to fill lower-skilled jobs, mainly in hotels and restaurants, construction and industry.” Conclusion: “At each end of the skill spectrum, the free movement of people has made it possible to meet the demand for labor which was not available in Switzerland or which was not available in sufficient numbers .”
Is this movement at the expense of Swiss social insurance? No, says the report. “EU/EFTA immigrants contribute more to the social insurances inherent in the distribution system (AVS, AI and APG) than they receive benefits.” Firstly because those who settle in Switzerland are younger than those who already live there. “Their contributions are particularly high compared to other categories of the population, thanks to their high participation in the labor market and therefore higher incomes,” describes the document. Even taking into account the future retirement rights of immigrants, the impact of this migration from the EU/EFTA remains positive.
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