Part-time and temporary jobs are booming

The JobCloud Market Insights are launched by JobCloud and ZHAW and analyze supply and demand based on several hundred thousand advertisements and millions of clicks on jobs.ch and jobup.ch, the leading job portals in Switzerland. According to the latest edition, specialists in the fields of mechanical and plant engineering, production and IT/telecommunications were particularly in demand during the period studied (2018). In German-speaking Switzerland, jobs in these areas accounted for more than a quarter of all advertised offers, and in French-speaking Switzerland for as much as a third. There was also strong demand for administrative/HR/consulting staff. There is a large number of part-time and temporary jobs on offer.

Shortage of skilled workers noticeable in engineering and nursing professions

However, not all frequently advertised professions are in demand among job seekers. In German-speaking Switzerland, for example, jobs in the construction and engineering professions, as well as in the nursing professions, receive proportionately the least attention. Jobs in the areas of security, police service, customs and rescue were in relatively high demand - i.e. the proportion of clicks on the occupational field massively exceeds the proportion of advertisements.

In French-speaking Switzerland, the shortage of skilled workers in the nursing professions is not as pronounced. There is strong demand for jobs in education and social services, which only account for a small proportion of the advertisements, but "the jobs advertised attract a great deal of interest and are clicked on relatively frequently. These professions are also attractive because they are often advertised on a part-time basis," says Davide Villa, CEO of JobCloud.

More and more temporary staff needed

Flexibility is increasingly in demand in the domestic labor market. Temporary positions are thus gaining in importance. In German-speaking Switzerland, as many as 15 percent of advertisements were for temporary positions. In French-speaking Switzerland, recruiters are relying even more heavily on temporary employment contracts: Here, these account for over 20 percent. But in both regions, interest in permanent positions is stronger than in temporary jobs. While this difference between supply and demand is only slightly noticeable in German-speaking Switzerland, the discrepancy is much more pronounced in French-speaking Switzerland.

In 2018, more temporary staff were sought than were actually employed: According to the BfS, 7.8 percent of employees were employed on a temporary basis this year.

Permanent employment is the norm, but part-time is the trend

In German-speaking Switzerland, one in four jobs is already offered on a part-time basis, but usually with an 80 percent workload. In French-speaking Switzerland, this proportion is significantly lower at just 9 percent - although part-time positions are also less in demand there. Interesting: in general, the supply and demand for part-time positions coincide very well throughout Switzerland. "The spread of part-time work has historically been driven by the increasing tertiarization of the economy and stronger presence of women in the labor market. Women have long worked part-time to a high degree. Today, the additional demand is increasingly coming from men. If a company wants to position itself as an attractive employer, part-time offerings are necessary," adds Dr. Nicoline Scheidegger of the ZHAW.

Sources: www.jobcloud.ch and www.zhaw.ch