Swiss unemployment down in second quarter of 2019

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In the second quarter of 2019, the percentage of Switzerland’s population working rose by 1.1% and the percentage unemployed fell to 4.2%, based on the higher International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) measure.

In the second quarter of 2019, 5.1 million people were working in Switzerland, 60% of the population. The number working rose 1.1% compared to the previous year, particularly among women (+2.0%). Employment rose 0.3% among men.

The number of unemployed fell to 205,000, 21,000 fewer than at the same point in 2018. The number unemployed was 4.2% of the working population, down from 4.6% at the same point in 2018. The Swiss rate was lower than the average EU-28 rate, which fell from 6.8% to 6.3%.

The average time spent out of work fell from 270 to 269 days and the number of long term unemployed fell from 93,000 to 84,000, with the proportion staying at 41% of all unemployed.

In Switzerland, the youth (15-25) unemployment rate dropped from 6.4% to 6.2%, a rate far lower than the EU-28 average, which fell from 15.0% to 14.1%.