Recommended by the EU, this indicator shows the disparities between the level of education and the level of qualifications required for employees’ jobs. This indicator shows how education and training obtained in the country of origin or in the host country are converted and recognised on the Swiss labour market.
In Switzerland in 2019, 15% of employees with tertiary-level education and training were over-qualified for their job. In the population without a migration background, this was the case for 11%, whereas it was 19% in the population with a migration background from the first generation and 13% in that from the second or subsequent generations. The difference between the population with no migration background and the second or subsequent generations is not significant. This reveals that within the population with a migration background, those from the first generation were affected to a statistically significant greater extent with regards job over-qualification.
In 2019, the rate of employees with tertiary-level education and training who are over-qualified for their job did not rise to a statistically significant extent from 2012, regardless of the migration status.
In each majoIn each major region of Switzerland, the population with a migration background shows significantly higher rates of job over-qualification than does the population without a migration background. The gap between populations with different migration statuses is largest in Espace Mittelland (difference of 11.9 percentage points) and lowest in Zurich (difference of 5.6 percentage points). The difference between both population groups is not statistically significant in central Switzerland.
Definitions
Over-qualification is determined by assessing the status in employment, the number of subordinates, education and training, and the socio-economic classification. This gives rise to two groups of overqualified persons, defined as follows:
1. Employees with no managerial function who completed tertiary education at a higher education institution and whose job does not require such education and training;
2. Employees with a managerial function and one subordinate a), who completed tertiary education at a higher education institution and whose job does not require such education and training.
a) We consider that employees with a managerial function and more than one subordinate cannot be over-qualified.
Contact
Federal Statistical Office Section Demography and MigrationEspace de l'Europe 10
CH-2010 Neuchâtel
Switzerland