Immigration from European countries reached record levels last year in Switzerland. It reflects job growth and the low unemployment rate. It also helps offset the effects of the aging population, Seco reported on Monday.
In total, 68,000 people from the EU/EFTA immigrated to Switzerland last year, writes the State Secretariat for the Economy in its 20th report of the Observatory on the Free Movement of People. This is 29% more than a year earlier.
Before that, immigration within the framework of the free movement of people had only been higher in 2008, just before the economic and financial crisis (72,100 people).
Neighboring countries in the lead
The main countries of origin are Germany (21%), France (16%) and Italy (15%), which together represent more than half of immigration. This ranking has continued to evolve over the years, notes Seco, which notes that “the situation in the EU/EFTA zone has had a significant influence” on its composition.
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“This correlation seems to be confirmed again” with regard to Germany, he adds: immigration from across the Rhine has in fact “particularly increased in 2023 (…) in a context of weak economic development of Germany.
According to Seco, immigration and job growth go hand in hand in Europe. This also applies to Switzerland, where employment growth has “significantly exceeded” the EU average over the past 20 years. It was also solid in 2023, while the unemployment rate reached its lowest level since 2001.
Two sides of the fan
The potential workforce already living in Switzerland was already well exploited. The Swiss population of working age has experienced only slight growth over the past twenty years, due to demographic aging, notes Seco. It is also already very well integrated into the labor market and its activity rate is high.
The report also underlines that a large proportion of Europeans working in Switzerland are highly qualified. Many of them carry out “demanding activities in booming economic sectors, such as specialized, scientific and technical services, information and communication or health”.
But the Swiss economy also depends on the recruitment of EU immigrants to fill less qualified jobs, mainly in hotels and restaurants, construction and industry. For Seco, this situation can be considered “an advantage, even a privilege” for Switzerland from the point of view of the job market.
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