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Employment and workweek – IndicatorsLabour force flows

Labour Market Accounts (LMA) help us understand labour market dynamics. These statistics provide information regarding individual transitions between employment, unemployment and inactivity. The LMA also show migration flows. They create a link between labour market statistics and population statistics.

Labour market accounts 2010

In 2010, the number of economically active persons in Switzerland increased by 1.2%, from 4.775 million at the start of the year to 4.831 million by the end of 2010. Growth was more pronounced for men (+1.7%, from 2.602 million to 2.645 million) than for women (+0.6%, from 2.173 million to 2.185 million).

Labour force overview

Domestic concept, in '000
		2006	2007	2008	2009³⁾	2010
Total
	Labour force on 1. Jan.	4417	4515	4618	4'735	4775
+	Entering labour force¹⁾	325	308	297	316	288
-	Leaving labour force²⁾	271	250	289	302	273
+	Labour force immigration	136	151	171	135	148
-	Labour force emigration	92	106	108	109	107
=	Labour force on 31 Dec.	4515	4618	4690	4'775	4831
Men
	Labour force on 1. Jan.	2434	2488	2532	2'585	2602
+	Entering labour force¹⁾	139	126	118	141	132
-	Leaving labour force²⁾	115	108	131	138	111
+	Labour force immigration	88	95	108	85	92
-	Labour force emigration	58	69	70	70	70
=	Labour force on 31 Dec.	2488	2532	2556	2'602	2645
Women
	Labour force on 1. Jan.	1983	2027	2086	2'150	2173
+	Entering labour force¹⁾	186	182	179	175	156
-	Leaving labour force²⁾	157	142	157	163	162
+	Labour force immigration	48	56	64	50	56
-	Labour force emigration	34	37	38	39	37
=	Labour force on 31 Dec.	2027	2086	2133	2'173	2185

1) This category refers to persons whose status changed from "outside the labour force" at the start of the year to "in the labour force" by the end of the year.

2) This category refers to persons whoses status changed from "in the labour force" at the start of the year to "outside the labour force" by the end of the year as well as those who have passed away.

3) The data on 1 January 2009 differ from those on 31 December 2008: The Labour Market Accounts 2009 include revised data from the Employment Statistics (ES), the Unemployment Statistics (ILO-based), the Cross-Border Commuter Statistics and the revision of the weighting of the 2009 data from the Swiss Labour Force Survey (SLFS).

Labour market accounts (LMA), SFSO

Trend in net migration

In 2010, the net migration of economically active persons was 41,000. It was responsible for 73% of the total increase in the labour supply.
The trend in net migration of the past ten years is a reflection of sustained immigration of foreigners. Between 2000 and 2010, the number of foreign workers migrating to Switzerland was continuously higher than the number of those leaving the country, with a net migration of 44,000 persons in 2010. Conversely, the net migration of Swiss nationals shows a negative balance over the past ten years, reaching -3,000 in 2010.

View and download detailed statistical tables in French and German

View and download detailed statistical tables on employment and duration of work.

Last updated: 12.01.2012

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