Record number of new businesses, Ticino leads

Context

In brief

• 41'716 new registrations in the first nine months
• New business formations in Ticino: growth of 9,3%
• Consulting leads with 4'307 registrations
• IT rises by one fifth

Key facts

• Period → first nine months
• New companies registered → 41'716
• Growth over the same period of the previous year → 2,1%
• Growth compared with the average of the last five years → almost 6%
• Leading region → Ticino, growth of 9,3%

A record concentrated in the first nine months

41'716 new companies were registered for the first time in the Swiss commercial register in the first nine months of the year. The result represents a record and corresponds to growth of 2,1% compared with the same period of the previous year. The comparison with the average of the last five years also indicates an increase of almost 6%. The data was reported by the Institute for Young Entrepreneurs (IFJ), in a survey published on Wednesday.

The record is not distributed evenly among the major regions. Ticino leads the ranking with growth of 9,3%. It is followed by Northwestern Switzerland, at 4,3%, Espace Mittelland, at 3%, Eastern Switzerland, at 2,6%, Central Switzerland, at 2,4%, and Southwestern Switzerland, at 0,5%. Zurich is the only area indicated with a negative change: new formations recorded a decline of 0,3%.

The source also points to a broad distribution among sectors. Consulting ranks first with 4'307 new registrations, ahead of crafts, with 4'041, and real estate, with 3'683. The Information Technology and Communication Technologies sector stands out for its pace of growth: formations increased by one fifth compared with the previous year and reached 3'508.

The picture therefore combines two elements: the national high in new registrations and a marked difference between the areas considered. Ticino records the strongest change among the major regions listed, while Zurich is the only one to record a decline. At the sectoral level, consulting's first place comes ahead of craft, real estate and technology activities. These are the data highlighted by the IFJ analysis of the first nine months.

The scope of the comparison remains that stated by the survey: newly registered companies and the first nine months. The growth of 2,1% compares the same period of the previous year, while the almost 6% uses the average of the last five years as a reference. These are therefore three different measures of the same phenomenon: the total registered, the year-on-year comparison and the comparison with the average. The geographical analysis adds a fourth level, that of the major regions.

Operational details

What the regional comparison shows

The national record should be read along two axes: geography and activity. For those who live or work in Switzerland, the distinction helps prevent confusing a regional percentage with a measure of the entire country, or the numerical lead of one sector with the growth rate of another.

The first axis is geographical. The survey pairs a record national result with a non-uniform ranking: Ticino is in the lead, while Zurich is the only area in decline. The other major regions remain in positive territory, but with different changes. The news, therefore, does not offer a single snapshot of Switzerland: it shows a picture with different regional paces.

The second axis concerns business activity. Consulting ranks first for new registrations; crafts and real estate follow; the information and communications technology sector is the one the source identifies as having increased by one fifth compared with the previous year. To make sense of it, it is useful to distinguish absolute volume from rate of change: 4'307 is a count, whereas one fifth describes a change.

Two ways of reading the same survey

This framework avoids overinterpreting the headline. The record concerns registrations made during the period under review, while the regional percentages describe the change in new company formations in the areas considered. The analysis does not attribute any automatic effect to these numbers for anyone who wants to start a business: it offers a basis for comparison, not an individual outcome.

Anyone wishing to compare the figure with a market assessment can consult the aziende che assumono, keeping the search for opportunities separate from the observation of registrations. They are two different readings: the first concerns hiring opportunities, the second the creation of businesses measured by IFJ.

Useful tools to protect your net income

To reduce FX leakage, compare CHF-EUR exchange options and banks for cross-border workers.

Key points

How to use the data operationally

Using the information operationally means, first and foremost, not mixing periods, territories, and sectors. A reader who wants to turn the survey into guidance can create a simple sheet based solely on the available information.

1. Period. Note the first nine months and compare them with the same period of the previous year. The figure should not automatically be extrapolated to the entire year. 2. Territory. Separate the major regions listed in the survey and keep the result for Ticino distinct from that of Zurich and the other areas. 3. Sector. Separate the number of new registrations from the annual trend. The sheet can list consulting, crafts, real estate, and information and communication technology, indicating for the latter that it reached 3'508 company formations after a one-fifth increase. 4. Objective. Establish whether you are looking for the sector with the most registrations, the one with the growth highlighted by the source, or the region with the highest rate. These are different questions and require different data.

The value of this sheet is not to produce a new conclusion, but to keep the different aspects of the survey separate. 4'307, 4'041 and 3'683 are counts referring to the sectors indicated; regional growth, on the other hand, is expressed as a percentage. The comparison becomes clearer when each figure remains tied to its own unit of measurement and period.

Anyone considering a career change must search for opportunities separately. For this purpose, they can consult annunci di lavoro, without interpreting new registrations in the commercial register as an individual offer. The information serves to organize the available data on regions and activities, not to replace personal verification.

To complete the guidance with a personal income calculation, use calcolatore stipendio.

Source: tio.ch