Immigrants are more successfully integrated into Switzerland’s labour market than in most other rich countries, according to a study commissioned by the State Secretariat for Migration. At 77%, the employment rate among immigrants in Switzerland is well above the OECD average across its 38 member states, which include Germany, France, Britain and the United States.
That figure is all the more striking given Switzerland’s unusually high level of immigration. More than 31% of its population was born abroad—one of the highest shares in the OECD, second in Europe only to Luxembourg. Roughly three-quarters of these migrants arrived under the EU’s free movement of persons; 7% entered through the asylum system.
The study points to two main drivers of labour-market integration: work and language. Migrants in Switzerland tend to be well educated and highly motivated to learn a national language. Some 61% of those without German, French or Italian as a mother tongue attend language courses—among the best results in the OECD. Within five years, nearly half progress from basic to fluent proficiency, often a prerequisite for steady employment.
Swiss officials attribute the results to a gradual, decentralised integration model. Over the past 25 years, responsibility has increasingly shifted to cantons, municipalities, schools, firms and civil society, rather than remaining solely with the federal government.
Yet strong employment figures coexist with persistent unemployment differences. Using the ILO definition, Switzerland’s overall unemployment rate stood at 4.3% in 2024. Among Swiss citizens it was just 3.1%; for EU and EFTA nationals, 5.7%; and for non-EU foreigners, a much higher 11.7%. Integration may be working better than elsewhere, but room for progress remains.
More on this:
OECD report (in English)
For more stories like this on Switzerland follow us on Facebook and Twitter.