Switzerland
4.8%2025 · All sexes
Unemployment in Switzerland
Compare your major region with Switzerland using the same official ILO unemployment measure.
Permanent resident population. Unadjusted rates. Annual and quarterly averages are kept separate.
How has unemployment changed?
- Switzerland
A higher rate means a larger share of the labour force is unemployed under the ILO definition. The regional gap compares the same period and population group.
Compare the seven major regions · 2025
| Major region | ILO unemployment rate (%) |
|---|---|
| Lake Geneva regionGE, VD, VS | 7.7% |
| TicinoTI | 6.5% |
| Northwestern SwitzerlandAG, BL, BS | 4.6% |
| Espace MittellandBE, FR, JU, NE, SO | 4.5% |
| ZurichZH | 4.4% |
| Eastern SwitzerlandAI, AR, GL, GR, SG, SH, TG | 3.3% |
| Central SwitzerlandLU, NW, OW, SZ, UR, ZG | 3.0% |
These are survey estimates for major regions. They do not describe a particular occupation, canton or your personal chance of finding a job.
Show the comparison data
| Observation period | Switzerland |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 4.8% |
| 2024 | 4.3% |
| 2023 | 4.0% |
| 2022 | 4.1% |
| 2021 | 5.0% |
| 2020 | 4.8% |
| 2019 | 4.4% |
| 2018 | 4.7% |
| 2017 | 4.8% |
| 2016 | 4.9% |
| 2015 | 4.8% |
| 2014 | 4.8% |
| 2013 | 4.7% |
| 2012 | 4.5% |
| 2011 | 4.4% |
| 2010 | 4.8% |
Who counts as unemployed?
The ILO definition covers people aged 15 to 74 without work in the reference week who actively sought work and were available to start. The rate divides this number by the labour force, comprising employed and unemployed people.
Why is this different from registered unemployment?
Registered unemployment is based on registration with a regional employment centre. This survey measure uses the ILO definition and can include people who are not registered. The two measures have different populations and should be read separately.
Sources, definitions and downloads
Values flagged as imprecise or suppressed by the publisher are omitted from charts and comparisons. Gaps stay visible. The download retains the quality flags.
Federal Statistical Office · T 03.03.01.14.01 · Source checked: 2026-11-15
Official source workbook · Original dataset · Download observations (CSV) · Source evidence (JSON)