Optimism among job seekers
Job seekers' confidence in finding a new job within three months increased by one-third (32%) in the first quarter of 2016 compared to the previous year (entry of the Swiss franc), according to the Page Personnel Candidate Confidence Index.
Good forecasts: Almost half (48%) of the jobseekers surveyed expect to be able to start a new job within 3 months. This is the highest figure since the launch of this quarterly index in Q1 2015. This increase was particularly pronounced among two groups - "millennials" and job seekers from French-speaking Switzerland:
- 62% of candidates under 30 are confident of finding a new job within 3 months, compared to 43% in the 30-50 age group and 49% in the 50+ age group.
- 56% of jobseekers from French-speaking Switzerland expect to find a new job within 3 months compared to 40% in German-speaking Switzerland.
Both "millennials" throughout Switzerland and job seekers from French-speaking Switzerland are confident about rising wages - in stark contrast to job seekers in German-speaking Switzerland:
"This increase in confidence among Millennials presents a challenge for employers seeking to attract and retain young talent," notes Xavier Chauville, Executive Director at Page Personnel. "This is especially true for engineers and technical specialists in export-oriented Swiss industries such as medtech, aerospace, food, pharma and biotech.
Also in demand are specialists in the value-added financial sector - especially fintech. The increase in confidence in French-speaking Switzerland is closely linked to the rise in vacancies. In 2015, there were widespread hiring freezes in both industry and finance."
Page Personnel Confindence Index
The Page Personnel Confidence Index is a unique measurement tool to gauge the confidence of job seekers. The results are based on an ongoing study and have been collected quarterly since July 2014 on a base of at least 400 PageGroup candidates. The study, which is unique in Switzerland, is conducted online and measures job change motivations, job seekers' confidence in finding a new job and expectations about how long it will take to find a job every three months. It also gives an impression of the economic development in Switzerland.
