Weakening economy Unemployment rate on the rise
The prolonged economic slowdown is having an impact on the labor market. The unemployment rate rose in the first quarter of 2026.
18.05.2026, 08:59
18.05.2026, 09:08
SDA
The unemployment rate according to the International Labor Organization (ILO) was 5.2 percent in the first quarter of 2026, according to the Swiss Labour Force Survey (Sake) published by the Federal Statistical Office on Monday. This was well above the figure for the fourth quarter of 2025, when 5.0% was measured. In the same quarter of the previous year, it was just 4.7%.
The ILO unemployment rate is significantly higher than the unemployment rate as defined by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), which only takes into account registered unemployed people. At the end of March, this was 3.1 percent. In the EU, the ILO unemployment rate was 6.1% in the first quarter.
A total of 5.351 million people were employed in Switzerland in the first quarter, which corresponds to an increase of 0.2% compared to the same quarter of the previous year. In full-time equivalents, the figure increased by 0.3%.
