Nearly half of the Migration-Mobility Survey participants (46%) had either an employment contract or job offer upon their arrival in Switzerland, indicating a significant number of migrants moving for professional reasons. However, there is a substantial variation in this proportion across different groups. Austrian, French, British and German citizens are among the highest figures with 63% to 70% of them having a guaranteed job upon arrival in Switzerland. On the other end of the spectrum, only 23% of West African migrants, 20% of South Americans, and 24% of people originating from Balkan countries have an employment agreement on their arrival in Switzerland.
There is significant variation among the survey respondents having a job offer when they migrate. While 60% of men already have a contract, only 32% of women are in the same situation. This notable difference can be attributed to the higher number of women migrating for family reasons, while men tend to migrate more frequently for professional reasons. As expected, migration for professional reasons is more often linked to having a job contract (77%), in contrast to those who cite family reasons for moving to Switzerland (12%). Additionally, individuals with tertiary educational qualifications are more likely to have a job to have a prearranged job (55%) compared to those with lower levels of education ( 34%). There is little variation concerning the age or time of arrival.
Does migration improve the professional situation?
How qualified are migrants in Switzerland?
For what reasons do people migrate to Switzerland?
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Source: Migration-Mobility Survey 2022, nccr – on the move
Note on methodology: These figures are taken from the Migration-Mobility Survey, conducted in fall 2022 on a population of persons born abroad and with foreign citizenship who have moved to Switzerland in the last 16 years. To be included in the sample population, respondents had to be between 24 and 64 years of age at the time of the survey, and at least 18 years of age on their arrival in Switzerland. 7,206 people replied to the full questionnaire, either online or by telephone.
The question asked: Did you have a job or a job offer in Switzerland before you immigrated to Switzerland?
Note: The “country of origin” was as declared by the respondent. In most cases, it was the same as their country of nationality or one of their countries of nationality.
Terms of use: The Migration-Mobility Indicators are made available free of charge for non-commercial use. We ask the users to acknowledge the source.
Suggested citation: nccr – on the move, Migration-Mobility Indicators. Neuchâtel: nccr – on the move, 2023.
For more information about the data sets used, please click here.
Last update: 14 July 2023