Foreign Job Vacancy Reporting Law's Impact on Non-Residents
Switzerland's Job Registration Requirement for Foreign Workers: A Closer Look
Switzerland's job market has a unique regulation that has been in effect since 2018, with further tightening in 2020, which may not be widely known by job-seekers outside Switzerland and the European Union and EFTA (Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein). This regulation targets foreign workers, specifically those from non-EU/EFTA countries, affecting them significantly.
The regulation, originally born out of a voter-approved initiative in 2014 by the Swiss People's Party to curb 'mass immigration', created a job registration requirement for occupations with the highest vacancy rates. The objective was to prioritize domestic workers over foreign workers, primarily from non-EU/EFTA countries.
Under this law, employers who wish to hire foreign nationals for jobs with a vacancy rate of at least 5% (initially 8%, lowered in 2020 due to the Covid pandemic) are required to report these jobs to local employment offices. This allows unemployed people in the region a five-day 'head start' to apply for these vacancies. If no suitable candidate is found within the local workforce after this period, the job can be opened to general recruitment.
The ones most affected by this rule are citizens of third nations. EU nationals, along with EFTA citizens, have the same rights as Swiss regarding access to the employment market, lessening the impact on them. For non-EU/EFTA nationals, this rule brings an additional hurdle in the already complex process of obtaining a Swiss work permit.
The latest report from the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) revealed that as of May 23rd, 2025, the number of positions subject to the reporting requirement was significantly lower in 2024. This is due to a low vacancy rate across all sectors, with no profession reporting a vacancy rate above 5%.
However, the situation may change in the future, with additional professions, including sales and marketing executives, set to be added to the list of occupations subjected to the reporting requirement.
This regulation underscores the varying levels of access to employment opportunities in Switzerland based on nationality, with non-EU/EFTA nationals facing more challenges in securing employment compared to EU/EFTA nationals.
In Switzerland, the job registration requirement for foreign workers primarily affects citizens of third nations, as employers must report vacancies with a 5% or higher vacancy rate to local employment offices, allowing domestic workers a five-day priority before jobs can be opened to general recruitment.
The ongoing regulation, aimed at prioritizing domestic workers over foreign workers, significantly impacts the process of obtaining a Swiss work permit for non-EU/EFTA nationals, making it a more complex procedure compared to EU/EFTA nationals.
