Switzerland Jobless Rate Ticks Down to 2.9% in June

Switzerland’s non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate edged down to 2.9% in June 2026 from 3.0% in each of the previous two months, coming in below market expectations of 3.1%. This was the lowest jobless rate since November 2025, as the number of unemployed people decreased by 2.5 thousand from the previous month to 137.75 thousand. Unemployment fell across most cantons, with the largest decreases recorded in Wallis (-411), Graubünden (-281), and Aargau (-254). By sector, unemployment declined notably in construction (-786) and hospitality (-760). The unemployment rate among young people aged 15 to 24 held steady at 2.7%, while the rate for older workers aged 50 to 64 ticked lower to 2.6% from 2.7%. Meanwhile, reported job vacancies rose by 2.5 thousand to 47.2 thousand. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the jobless rate was unchanged at 3.1%.

Switzerland’s non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stood at 3.0% in May 2026, unchanged from April and above market expectations of 2.9%. The number of unemployed people fell by 2.6 thousand from the previous month to 140.2 thousand, although unemployment remained 9.6% higher than a year earlier. The decline in unemployment was broad-based across most cantons, with the sharpest decreases recorded in Graubünden (-13.7%), Freiburg (-4.8%), and Wallis (-4.4%). By sector, unemployment fell notably in construction (-6.5%) and hospitality (-5.4%), reflecting seasonal improvements in labor demand. Meanwhile, the number of unemployed workers in finance and insurance services increased by 0.8% from April and was 19.4% higher than a year earlier. Youth unemployment, defined as job-seekers aged 15 to 24, was unchanged at 2.7%, while job vacancies fell by 3.7 thousand to 44.7 thousand. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the jobless rate edged up to 3.1% from 3.0%.

Switzerland’s non seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 3% in April 2026 from 3.1% in March, marking the lowest level in six months. The number of unemployed people declined by 3,353 from the previous month to 142,902, though it remained 9.8% higher than a year earlier. On a seasonally adjusted basis, unemployment was broadly stable at 3%, with the number of unemployed edging up slightly to 141,847. Youth unemployment among those aged 15 to 24 dropped by 6.5% from March to 11,823, lowering the jobless rate for that group to 2.7%, although it was still above year ago levels. Unemployment among older workers aged 50 to 64 also declined by 2% on the month to 39,837, bringing their unemployment rate down to 2.7%, while remaining higher compared with April 2025.