Unemployment in Switzerland is only counted if you are collecting unemployment benefits. Once they expire, officially you are no longer unemployed and not counted as such.
Swiss statistics are a joke.
I would not have put it that way. Income related unemployment benefit is very generous in Switzerland but it only lasts for two years. After that individuals who have not found work may receive social security benefits which are generally much lower. The end effect is a lower number of long-term unemployed - the statistics are a bit difficult to get hold of but anecdotally this system seems to work pretty well.
Switzerland counts “persons no longer entitled to unemployment benefits”.
Around 25K per year and this includes people who failed to find work before unemployment benefits expired and people who did meet the criteria for benefits.
About 150k people in unemployment benefits in Jan 2026. If the 25K were counted towards unemployment, there would be an increase from 150k to 175k. Significant? Yes. End of the world or a joke? No.
creating reliable statistics is difficult, what about those who are unemployed but don’t want to change that? housewives, househusbands, early retirees…
400 days, then you fill out reams and reams of paper, and I mean lots of paper for your paltry pay.
Then your troubles start, first you have to silver your assets and as you are unable to fend for yourself you virtually become a ward of the state, you are told where you can live, what to wear, what to eat, forget your car, it’s public transport for you.
And best of all should you become gainfully employed then you have to pay the money you have received back to the coffers.
Although I applaud the thought behind such measures the initiative to find work will be very low and I would expect a high number of long term unemployed.
Actually it is not like that, at least not where I live. A woman just explained to me how it works, at least in my community, she came into that situation because of her ex, but has recovered since the divorce, found a job and a small apartment.
You have debt to the community / taxpayers who helped you. But exactly to not hinder you to get your life back, you have to pay it back only if you get into money by inheritance, a lottery win or something similar. They do not take it away from the salary. As salaries in Switzerland are almost always higher than the social help there is no need to hide anything.
So what, they tell you to spend your own money first before the money of the others. Seems pretty normal to me. They tell you you cannot spend more than absolutely needed because others have to pay for it. So what. At least you get help.
BTW: I think this is done on a community level. There may be 2110 different rules, as many as there are communities in Switzerland. Many communities ask back for the money to your place of birthright / citizenship. Then you get the money from where you live, but have to pay it back to the place of birthright / citizenship community. That is why the community citizenship is more important than the Kanton / Swiss Country citizenship, they have to take care of you.
It may seem harsh, but I prefer such a solution to the one from Germany or worse Spain, where for not doing anything you get only little less as for working every day. A bit of black work, everybody does that, and yet you make more than a legally working person.
Dont get me wrong, it maybe harsh when you first look at it, but that is not your money, you had yours and spent it, the system is designed so that abuse is in theory difficult.
But is also means that there is no reason for most people to go and find work if you have to pay it back. (At least in Kanton Basel)
it crossed my mind, if things are set as such, when you’re 50+ you’d definitely stop any attempt, what for?
You will be ordered to apply for so- and so many jobs a month because the state is now regarded as your employer…
Its not your fault if nobody gives you a job, tben of course you have to attend so- and so many courses: How to write a CV. How to talk to a potential employer ect.
I had to do a course on how to properly format a CV and got sanctioned on day one where the crusty 25 year old told us that we are “employment seekers” and I asked if that is the fancy term for Arbeitslos?
Then how to write a CV… I’m a typesetter for freaks sake and he got all gnarly when I pointed out his mistakes.
but then in Switzerland there are all the fake illness conditions treated real, like ADHD, burnout, etc I bet it’s easy to bypass the state police by claiming one of these
Probably.
If you want to cheat you will always find a way. Feel bad for people that really have problems. Anyhow, social services will try to move them to IV, the state insurance, so they don’t have to pay anymore.
BTW: people receiving social help in my municipality have to work, in summer they cut the grass around the public swimming pool, in winter they help with the snow. Not full time jobs (not much snow those last years), but at least. They get paid some extra for this.
tippinpoint.ch has a monthly article about unemployed bankers in RAV in Zurich. Now, that’s some growth:
And what about Rover and Kitty?
No idea.
Apparently the golf courses are worried. RAV are not as keen as the banks on home-office.
Or clean the trams
Would prefer to drive a tram. Actually, it would be nice if the RAV could dish out decent cushy jobs like being placed as member of the board of directors for an SMI firm.