Increase in active border workers in Switzerland (cross-border guide)

Context

In a nutshell

• Second quarter 2026: 79,121 border workers active in Ticino, +0.6% compared to the first quarter.
• Second quarter 2025: -0.6% compared to the same period.

Key facts

• What: Border guards active in Ticino
• When: Second quarter 2026
• Where: Ticino
• Who: Statistics Office
• Amount: 79,121

Increase in active border workers in Switzerland

The second quarter of 2026 saw an increase in active border workers in Ticino, with a total of 79,121 workers, +0.6% compared to the first quarter. This positive trend is in contrast to the second quarter of 2025, which recorded a decrease of -0.6% compared to the same period of the previous year.

Data analysis

According to the Statistical Office, the data show that the number of active border crossers in Ticino increased during 2026, both compared to the first quarter and the second quarter of 2025. This positive trend has been observed in several areas of the Canton of Ticino, including the region of Lugano, which is one of the most populated areas of the Canton.

Concrete examples

The increase in active frontier workers in Ticino has been observed in several sectors, including manufacturing, services and agriculture. For example, according to data from the Statistical Office, in the second quarter of 2026, the manufacturing industry sector registered an increase of 2.5% compared to the first quarter, with a total of 21,456 active border workers.

Laws and regulations

The job

Operational details

Increase in active border workers in Ticino

According to the Statistical Office, the number of active frontier workers in Ticino increased by 0.6% in the second quarter of 2026 compared to the first quarter. However, compared to the same period in 2025, the number fell by 0.6%. This increase is particularly marked in the Geneva region (+2.8%), Mittelland (+1.8%) and northwestern Switzerland (+1.0%).

According to data from the Statistical Office, the number of active border crossers in Ticino increased by 1,200 units in the second quarter of 2026 compared to the first quarter. This means that the total number of active border crossers in Ticino rose to 198,000 units, with an overall increase of 0.6%.

However, if we compare the second quarter of 2026 with the same period of 2025, the number of active border workers in Ticino fell by 1,200 units, or 0.6%. This decrease is due to the reduction in the number of active border crossers in the central Ticino region (-1.2%) and in the Sopraceneri region (-1.0%).

The Geneva region was the only one to increase the number of active border crossers, with an increase of 2.8% compared to the second quarter of 2025. This is due to the strong demand for labour in the Lugano and Mendrisio area, which registered an increase of 3.5% and 2.0% compared to the second quarter of 2025, respectively.

Mittelland also saw an increase in the number of active frontier workers, with an increase of 1.8% compared to

Recommended tools

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Key points

Increase in active border workers in Switzerland

The total number of active border crossers in Switzerland increased by 0.5% compared to the previous quarter and by 1.3% compared to the second quarter of 2025. This increase is due to the increase in the number of border workers from France, while that of people from Italy, Germany and Austria remained relatively stable.

According to official data from the Federal Department of Economy, Education and Research (DEFR), the number of active border workers in Switzerland increased to 274,000 in the second quarter of 2025, compared to 271,000 in the previous quarter and 270,000 in the second quarter of 2024.

The majority of active border workers in Switzerland come from the municipality of Bellinzona, where over 15,000 people work, followed by Lugano with 12,000 active border workers and Mendrisio with 8,000. 📊

According to the Law on Foreigners (LSI) of 16 December 2005, active border workers in Switzerland must be registered on the list of active border workers and must reside in Switzerland for at least 90 days per year. Registration on the list is mandatory for all border workers active in Switzerland and must be made within 8 days of arrival in Switzerland.

The majority of active border workers in Switzerland come from the municipality of Bellinzona, where over 15,000 people work, followed by Lugano with 12,000 active border workers and Mendrisio with 8,000. 📊

According to the Law on

For a precise net salary calculation, use our tax comparator: compare take-home pay between G and B permits with all 2026 deductions.

Source: rsi.ch