immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: Arbeitsmarkt

  • Study shows high regional value creation by energy companies

    Study shows high regional value creation by energy companies

    Repower commissioned Hanser Consulting to analyse how much added value the Graubünden-based energy supplier generates compared to energy companies outside the canton. In its study, the consulting firm puts the additional added value of the Repower Group for the canton at around CHF 144 million for the year 2024. According to its press release, Repower presented the results to the Graubünden cantonal parliament at an information event on 23 April 2026.

    Hanser Consulting summarises the main findings as follows: Firstly, due to the Repower Group’s headquarters in Graubünden, more than twice the added value per kilowatt hour of electricity produced from Graubünden hydropower remains in Graubünden compared to companies outside the canton. Secondly, this would result in “many other advantages” for the Graubünden economy, particularly with regard to the diversity of the labour market, tax revenues for the canton and municipalities and the inclusion of local suppliers for headquarters activities.

    “Against the backdrop of the Graubünden hydropower strategy and the pending home cases in the coming years, the question of how the use of hydropower is organised in the long term and where the associated added value is generated is becoming increasingly important,” writes Repower. “The study aims to provide a factual basis for discussion.” As Repower emphasises, although the company paid for the study and provided the necessary basis, it had no influence on the methodology or results.

    Repower employs around 500 people in Graubünden and operates along the entire value chain, from production to the grid and supply to trading. The largest shareholders are Elektrizitätswerke des Kantons Zürich (38.49 per cent), the canton of Graubünden (27 per cent) and UBS’s Clean Energy Infrastructure Switzerland fund (23.04 per cent).

  • Between AI dynamics and stable services

    Between AI dynamics and stable services

    In Switzerland, the increase in employment in the second quarter of 2025 was only 0.6 %. The long-term average is 1.3 %. Germany is stagnating, France is even recording a decline, only Italy and the United Kingdom are still showing growth, albeit below the norm. In Switzerland, the service sectors are affected differently. While the healthcare and education sectors are experiencing robust growth, the ICT sector is down 1.4% and has lost almost 3,000 jobs

    ICT weakens
    The ICT sector has been a growth driver for years. Currently, a combination of productivity gains through artificial intelligence, automation and economic restraint is causing a noticeable slowdown. Routine tasks are being automated and the demand for traditional software developers is falling. Junior positions in particular are coming under pressure as a result of the use of AI. Tasks are being completed faster and with fewer staff, and entry-level opportunities are becoming rarer. In contrast, specialized roles for cloud architecture, machine learning and cybersecurity remain scarce and in demand

    After some above-average growth in ICT in recent years, a correction phase can be observed, which is also accompanied by a shift in job profiles.

    Government-related services remain stable
    The picture is different for healthcare, education and public administration. These government-related sectors continue to grow steadily, in some cases even above average. They are driven by three factors.

    • Demographics: Ageing societies, retirements and a shortage of skilled workers are increasing the need for care, support and education.
    • Political initiatives: Programs and wage incentives specifically promote new hires, for example in care or early childhood education, and ensure employment growth.
    • Productivity limit: Many activities in the education and social sector can hardly be automated, the need for personnel remains constantly high (“Baumol effect”)

    Specialization is in demand
    The labour market remains dual. Growth continues in government-related sectors, driven by social and political trends. In the ICT sector, demand remains fundamentally present, but is shifting more towards specialized and higher-skilled roles. Investments in the cloud, AI and cyber security will be key job drivers in the long term. However, there will be no broad-based increase in employment. Those who focus specifically on the skills of the future will remain successful in the changing job market.

    After strong years, 2025 marks a turning point in Switzerland and Europe. Declines in the ICT sector, robust growth in government services. The dualization of labour market trends will continue to intensify. Specialized skills and all services related to healthcare, education and administration have a bright future.

  • Labour Office sets course for the future

    Labour Office sets course for the future

    The Office of Labour is responding to changes in the world of work, including demographic change, labour shortages and advancing digitalisation. The organisation aims to become more efficient, customer-friendly and digital by 2030. A key objective is to offer jobseekers and companies modern services and simplified access to information.

    Hans Rupp, Head of the AFA, explains: “85 per cent of applications are already made digitally, and the trend is rising. Our customers want central points of contact and uncomplicated processes, which we want to provide through optimised digital offerings.”

    Consolidation of locations for greater efficiency
    The AFA’s services are currently spread across 16 RAV locations throughout the canton. In future, five to seven central locations will take over these tasks. This adjustment will be implemented gradually and is based on in-depth analyses. No job cuts are planned.

    Hans Rupp continues: “The previous structure dates back to a time when public transport was not yet so well developed. Today, centralisation allows us to reduce space and maintain specialisations and individual consultations in the long term.” By centralising, teams can be expanded and resources deployed more efficiently. At the same time, the organisation remains scalable so that it can react flexibly to rising unemployment.

    Added value for Zurich as a business location
    Carmen Walker Späh, Director of Economic Affairs, emphasises the strategic importance of the modernisation: “Our aim is to position the Employment Office as a modern and customer-oriented centre of expertise for the labour market. This will not only benefit our customers, but also Zurich as a business location.”

  • Vocational trainer meeting SVIT Zurich 2024

    Vocational trainer meeting SVIT Zurich 2024

    The reforms to basic commercial training are crucial to ensure that the training of young adults meets the changing demands of the labour market. The new provisions, which are based on a review every five years, have been in force since August 2023. The aim is to ensure that commercial apprenticeships always keep pace with the times. The current projects of Bildung Kaufleute Schweiz and the Interessengemeinschaft Kaufmännische Grundbildung ensure that commercial apprenticeships EFZ and EBA will continue to meet the changing needs of the labour market in the future. The focus here is on the development of competences to facilitate graduates’ direct entry into professional life.

    Experience reports and practical implementation
    This year’s SVIT Zurich vocational trainer meeting will focus on the reform. The organisation for basic commercial training in fiduciary services / real estate will report on its experiences in implementing the reforms. SVIT Zurich will also present ways in which apprentices can be supported throughout the three years of training in accordance with the new training regulations and optimally prepared for the final examination.

    Interactive participation and dialogue
    A key element of the meeting is the opportunity to ask questions directly to the OKGT. This gives participants the opportunity to get actively involved and benefit from the experience and knowledge of the experts.

    Event details
    The vocational trainer meeting will take place on Tuesday, 10 September 2024, from 10:30 to 13:00 on the premises of SVIT Zurich, Siewerdtstrasse 8, 8050 Zurich. Participation is free of charge for both SVIT Zurich members and non-members. As the number of places in the presence mode is limited, members of SVIT Zurich have priority when allocating places.

    This meeting offers a valuable platform for the exchange and networking of vocational trainers and experts in the property and location promotion sector. Participants will have the opportunity to find out about the latest developments in basic commercial training and actively participate in the discussion.

    Registration for the Vocational Trainer Meeting 2024

    Flyer for the Vocational TrainersMeeting2024Download
  • Cross-border commuter boom in Geneva – growth and housing shortage

    Cross-border commuter boom in Geneva – growth and housing shortage

    The canton of Geneva is experiencing a sustained increase in the number of cross-border commuters who live in France and commute to work in Geneva. Between the first quarter of 2021 and the first quarter of 2024, the number of these cross-border commuters rose by 33,000 to a total of 399,000. This development was boosted by the Léman Express and the liberalisation of home office rules in 2023.

    Rising share of cross-border commuters in the labour market
    The number of cross-border commuters from France working in the Lake Geneva region has risen by 26% in the last three years. The share of cross-border commuters in the workforce rose from 13.2 percent in the first quarter of 2021 to 14.9 percent in the first quarter of 2024. This is due to the booming labour market, the housing shortage in Geneva and the more attractive housing costs in neighbouring France.

    Impact of the Léman Express
    The Léman Express, which opened in 2020, has made cross-border commuting much easier by reducing the journey time between Annemasse and Geneva’s main railway station by around 40 per cent. 70,000 commuters now use the Léman Express every day, giving it a market share of 43 per cent. This has led to a construction boom around the new railway stations and increased the attractiveness of cross-border commuting.

    Housing market in Geneva and neighbouring regions
    Geneva has been struggling with an acute housing shortage for years. The vacancy rate was just 0.4 per cent in 2023, while the supply rate of rental flats fell from 5.3 per cent to 4.2 per cent between 2021 and 2023. In comparison, housing costs are significantly lower in France, which encourages many workers to live there. However, this has also caused prices to rise in these areas.

    Future developments and challenges
    The population growth trend in the French part of the Geneva metropolitan area is expected to continue. From 2024 to 2030, annual population growth of 1 per cent is expected in the canton of Geneva, while the neighbouring French arrondissements are likely to exceed this figure. This will continue to pose challenges for infrastructure and the housing market on both sides of the border.

    The Lake Geneva region faces the challenge of reconciling the dynamic labour market and the increasing number of cross-border commuters with the existing housing shortage. Innovative transport solutions such as the Léman Express and the liberalisation of home office regulations play a key role, but also require long-term strategies to tackle the housing market problem and ensure the sustainable development of the entire region.

  • Part-time work has an impact on pensions and AHV financing

    Part-time work has an impact on pensions and AHV financing

    Part-time work is on the rise in Switzerland, especially among women. The Federal Statistical Office (FSO) reports that around 30 per cent of single women without children will be working part-time in 2022, compared to only 15 per cent of men. This way of working not only affects individual income and pension benefits, but also the financing of the pay-as-you-go AHV system.

    A study by UBS economists entitled “Part-time work: effects on pension provision” highlights the fact that part-time work leads to reduced pension benefits and reduced savings capacity. This particularly affects single people without children, whereby the resulting pension gap is often disproportionate to the reduction in workload. For couples, on the other hand, part-time work in conjunction with income-dependent childcare subsidies can have less dramatic effects.

    The UBS study “AHV 2030 – Labour market scenarios for the fiscal sustainability of the AHV” shows that a change in labour market participation has a direct impact on the AHV funding gap. Increasing female labour market participation could slightly reduce this gap, while reduced male participation would widen the gap. A higher labour force participation of older workers would also have a positive effect.

    Future developments in the labour market and social trends such as a better work-life balance or increased childcare by men could make further structural reforms to the AHV necessary. The UBS economists emphasise that changes in the labour market alone are not enough to close the AHV funding gap.

  • Intershop starts building an assembly hall for Stadler

    Intershop starts building an assembly hall for Stadler

    Intershop creates a new assembly hall for Stadler Winterthur . According to a press release , the building permit is now available. The investment volume amounts to around 16 million francs. The start of construction is planned for the current week, the completion of construction for the end of 2021. As Stadler announced after the agreement with Intershop Holding was concluded, the Zugbauer will lease the plant from the Intershop subsidiary SGI City Immobilien AG on a long-term basis. The lease has a minimum term of 15 years, according to Intershop.

    With the new building, Stadler Winterthur is expanding its competence center for bogies. On around 13,250 square meters of land, additional storage and assembly areas are being built for the construction of bogies for standard and broad gauge trains as well as for trams. The commissioning of the new hall is planned for 2022. In February, Stadler announced its intention to create up to 50 new jobs with the expansion of the production facility at the Winterthur location.