Employment Level in Switzerland

Oficina Federal de Estadistica de Suiza · Quarterly · Importance 80

5,537.3 (Q1-26) ABS · miles · Trimestral · CSV

Period	miles
Jan 2026	5,537.3
Oct 2025	5,544.1

About this indicator

Source	Federal Statistical Office (FSO) - Job Statistics (BESTA)
Frequency	Quarterly
Release	Alrededor de 7 semanas tras el cierre del trimestre (Beschaftigungsbarometer, 06:30 UTC)
What it is	The employment level (Beschäftigungsstatistik, BESTA) measures the total number of jobs in Switzerland's secondary and tertiary sectors through a survey of firms. It is published by the Federal Statistical Office (BFS) and is akin to the 'nonfarm payrolls' concept used elsewhere.
How it's calculated	The BFS surveys a large sample of firms each quarter (tens of thousands of establishments) and publishes the total number of jobs, full and part time, by economic division, region and sex, with quarterly and year-on-year changes. It differs from the SAKE, which counts employed persons via a household survey.
Market implications	A rise in the employment level signals a strong labour market and firm demand; a fall foreshadows economic weakening. It is a watched indicator for the Swiss franc (CHF) and for Swiss National Bank (SNB) decisions given its link to the cycle.
Limitations	It counts jobs, not people (someone with two part-time jobs is counted twice); it is released later than SECO's monthly registered unemployment and its figures are subject to revision.