Swiss companies published 6% more job ads in the second quarter of 2018 when compared to the same period last year according to the Adecco Group Swiss Job Market Index conducted by the Swiss Job Market Monitor from the University of Zurich.

The Adecco Group said the 6% growth in job ads was not surprising given the current positive economic development in Switzerland.

Nicole Burth, CEO of The Adecco Group Switzerland, commented, “The current very positive economic situation is also reflected in companies’ recruitment behaviour. At the moment, they are conducting intensive searches for new employees. If the positive economic forecasts hold true, we can count on a further increase in vacant positions.”

The index noted significant increases in IT occupational groups, management and organisational professions (such as project managers, office managers, directors, HR specialists) and industrial and transport occupational groups.

“Process optimisation and automation are becoming increasingly important for companies in order to remain competitive on the domestic and international markets,” Burth said. “For this reason, they are very eager to find suitable staff to push forward these sometimes complex optimisations. Candidates who are trained in the areas of IT and management and organisation are therefore very much in demand.”

Among the regions, job ads growth was higher in the Lake Geneva Region than in any other region in Switzerland. In the Lake Geneva Region, job ads in the industry and construction sector grew by 48%. Demand for workers has also grown in the technology and IT sectors (34%) as well as in personal and social services professions (23%), and in corporate services occupations (11%).

Jan Müller from the Swiss Job Market Monitor of the University of Zurich, commented, “With its international orientation, the region is benefiting more than most from the improved economic situation abroad. Furthermore, the Lake Geneva Region with its Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne is an attractive centre of education and well positioned in future-looking sectors, such as information and communication technology and life sciences, which facilitates the creation of new jobs.”