Swiss Unemployment in May Stays The Same

Swiss Unemployment in May Stays The Same

Thu, Jun 6th 2024

Despite a slight decrease in unemployment numbers, seasonally adjusted figures reveal a small increase in May.

KEYSTONE/Walter Bieri

The number of unemployed people in Switzerland fell slightly in May, though the unemployment rate remained at 2.3%. Seasonally adjusted figures showed an increase.

At the end of May, 105,465 people were registered as unemployed with the regional employment centers (RAV), according to the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco). This was 1,492 fewer than in April. However, when adjusted for seasonal effects, the number of unemployed rose by 2,201, increasing the adjusted unemployment rate from 2.3% to 2.4%.

The unemployment rate is subject to seasonal fluctuations due to varying work availability in certain sectors, such as construction and tourism, during different times of the year. The adjusted figure provides a clearer view of the labor market’s health.

Key Labor Market Figures

Other labor market indicators showed little change. Seco reported 176,422 jobseekers in May, 1,148 fewer than in April. The number of vacancies registered with the RAV fell by 1,426 to 40,105, with 19,248 of these subject to the registration requirement for occupations with an unemployment rate of at least 5%.

Short-time work remained low. In March, only 3,545 people were on short-time work, 1,418 fewer than in February.

©Keystone/SDA

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