Cautious hiring in Switzerland, but AI skills command a premium

Swiss companies are still hiring with the brake on. According to the Manpower survey published today, the net employment outlook stands at plus 19, just one point above the previous quarter. It is a reading that remains at a five-year low and places Switzerland seven points below the global average.

Eric Jeannerod, of Manpower Switzerland, sums up the situation: «Le aziende elvetiche hanno acquisito una maggiore sicurezza nella pianificazione. Allo stesso tempo, molti datori di lavoro mantengono un atteggiamento cauto a causa del calo della domanda» (Swiss companies have gained greater planning certainty; at the same time, many employers remain cautious because of falling demand).

The two statements describe different phases of the same cycle. Visibility over the coming months has improved compared with the years marked by uncertainty over energy costs and tariffs, but weak demand does not justify new hires. The result is a labour market that is neither contracting nor expanding.

Which skills make the difference

The survey's most interesting figure concerns what employers are willing to pay more for. Fifty-six per cent would accept a salary premium for artificial intelligence skills, a share that rises to 66 per cent in companies with more than 250 employees. Company size matters: large organisations have projects under way and are looking for people to carry them forward, while smaller ones have often not yet decided what to do with the technology.

Technical skills are not the only ones with a price, however. Sixty-six per cent of respondents are ready to pay more for communication and teamwork, 60 per cent for professionalism and work ethic, 59 per cent for adaptability and 57 per cent for critical thinking and problem-solving. The two lists show similar percentages, which suggests firms are not substituting one kind of skill for the other.

On the concrete effect of artificial intelligence tools the picture is more guarded. Fifty-one per cent of companies attribute positive productivity effects to them, and 43 per cent cite process automation and AI training among their growth factors. Slightly more than half, then, recognise a measurable gain.

One final figure concerns work organisation. Thirty-three per cent of respondents regard a return to the office and physical presence as a productivity factor. It is a minority, but the issue remains on the table at a moment when companies are looking for efficiency gains without increasing headcount.