The labor market situation in September 2026

Context

TL;DR

• September: 140’480 unemployed people, unemployment rate at 3%.
• Monthly unemployed down 0,8%.
• Year on year, unemployed up 5,4%.
• URC vacancies: 44’199, +1,1% month on month.

Key facts

• Source → SECO
• Publication date → October 6, 2026
• Location → Bern
• Period covered → September 2026
• Unemployed → 140’480 people
• Unemployment rate → 3,0%
• Seasonally adjusted unemployed → 147’411 people
• Vacancies at the URC offices → 44’199

SECO published the latest findings on the labor market situation in Switzerland on October 6, 2026. The release, dated Bern, captures September 2026: there were 140’480 unemployed people, 1’064 fewer than in the previous month, equivalent to -0,8%, but 7’247 more than in the same month of the previous year, i.e. +5,4%. The unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3% (3,0% in the text).

The seasonally adjusted number decreased by 475 units, or -0,3%, to 147’411 people; the seasonally adjusted rate remained at 3,1%. The release therefore distinguishes the regular monthly series from the one adjusted for seasonal variations, keeping both the counts and the rates separate.

Overall, the release thus presents the situation from two perspectives: the figure observed in the month and the one adjusted for seasonality. The age groups and the group of people seeking employment are then indicated with their own figures and rates.

Between August and September 2026, the number of unemployed young people aged 15 to 24 fell by 332 people (-2,3%), to 14’346. Year on year, however, there were 485 more people (+3,5%). The youth unemployment rate decreased by 0,1 percentage points, to 3,3%.

For older workers, the monthly decrease was 201 people, or -0,5%, for a total of 38’482. Compared with the previous year, the increase was 2’291 people (+6,3%). The rate for the 50-64 age group was 2,6%, down by 0,1 points.

The group of people seeking employment

The separate category of people seeking employment comprises 227’592 people, 344 more than in the previous month (+0,2%) and 13’842 more than a year earlier (+6,5%). The rate remained at 4,8%. Adjusted for seasonal variations, the number instead fell by 444 units (-0,2%), to 237’244, with the rate unchanged at 5% (5,0% in the text). The distinction between these series makes it possible to view the monthly movement and the year-on-year comparison separately. To complement the general statistics with the published opportunities, the reader can consult annunci di lavoro.

Operational details

The figures on the exhaustion of entitlement to unemployment benefits are published with a delay. At the end of September 2026, the available data concerned cases from July 2026: 2’990 people, 254 more than in June, an increase of 9,3%. Payment practices mean that unemployment funds publish these cases with a two-month delay; the source specifies that the figures may still change. To interpret the figure correctly, July should not be mistaken for September.

Vacancies at the URCs

In September 2026, the URCs recorded 44’199 vacancies, 466 more than in the previous month (+1,1%). Of these, 29’251, or 66,2%, were subject to the reporting requirement. Compared with the same period of the previous year, the number of vacancies counted was 6’827 higher (+18,3%). The seasonally adjusted figure provides another perspective: 42’931 vacancies, 150 more (+0,4%) than in the previous month.

For those seeking opportunities, the total number and the share subject to the reporting requirement are not the same information. The former indicates all vacancies reported to the URCs; the latter isolates part of that total. The monthly comparison, the annual comparison and the seasonally adjusted series should therefore be kept distinct. The link to aziende che assumono can support the interpretation without replacing the SECO figures.

Short-time work: a more lagged snapshot

The short-time work data available at the end of September refer to June 2026. There were 8’339 people affected, 84 fewer than in May, a decrease of 1% (the press release reports -1,0%), calculated over a three-month registration period. The businesses involved numbered 638, i.e. 35 more (+5,8%).

Here too, the reference date is decisive. Counting and payment practices result in a three-month delay in the publication of counted cases; the figures may still change. The source's stated experience is that the short-time work counted and recorded after three months is around 75 per cent. For a reader, this means using June as the month of measurement and September as the point when the data became available.

Recommended tools

For an updated estimate, use the net salary calculator and the CHF-EUR exchange comparator.

Key points

Anyone who wants to use the press release as an operational reference must start with the dates, not just the figures. The source gathers indicators covering different periods and points out delays related to payment or counting. An orderly reading prevents attributing to September data that refer to July or June.

Five-step reading procedure

1. Pin down the date of the document. The SECO press release was published on October 6, 2026. The attached PDFs are dated October 5, 2026. These are publication dates: they must not be confused with the statistical period observed.

2. Indicate the reference period. For the main section, note September 2026. For the exhaustion of entitlement to unemployment benefits, note July 2026; for short-time work, June 2026. The different timing is part of the data.

3. Keep the categories separate. Unemployed people, seasonally adjusted unemployed people, young people aged 15 to 24, older workers aged 50 to 64 and people seeking employment are reported as separate entries. Keep the corresponding count and, where present, the corresponding rate for each.

4. Write down the type of comparison. Next to each value, indicate whether the change concerns the previous month, the same month of the previous year or the figure adjusted for seasonal variations. This note prevents putting changes that answer different questions on the same footing.

5. Treat vacancies and delayed data separately. For the URCs, retain the announced total, the share subject to the reporting obligation and the seasonally adjusted figure. For the exhaustion of entitlement to benefits and short-time work, add the publication delay and remember that the figures may change.

This procedure does not modify SECO’s data: it makes them readable in their chronological order. The two PDFs can be placed alongside the press release to verify the document title and the associated date, while the page for annunci di lavoro offers an operational step for anyone who wants to look for opportunities without confusing the statistical data with the individual case.

To move from general reading to personal comparison, use calcolatore stipendio.

Source: admin.ch