Business · Economy · 9 hrs ago
Unemployment rises among Swiss university graduates
Starting a career after higher education in Switzerland has become more difficult for recent graduates.
Federal data show that the share of university graduates who were unemployed one year after graduating increased between 2023 and 2025.
For people with a university master's degree, the rate rose from 3.9% to 6.4%.
Among people with a bachelor's degree from a university of applied sciences, it increased from 3.4% to 4.9%.
A separate jobs portal report found about one-third fewer job ads for entry-level workers in 2025 than in 2019–2022, especially in roles more exposed to AI tools.
The figures help explain why graduates are worried about finding work as they finish their studies.
Students at a graduate fair in Zurich shared their concerns, but no next steps are reported.
Unemployment among Swiss higher-education graduates one year after completing their studies increased between 2023 and 2025.
University master’s graduates were particularly affected, with their unemployment rate rising from 3.9% to 6.4%.
The rate for graduates with bachelor’s degrees from universities of applied sciences rose from 3.4% to 4.9%.
A Jobs.ch report said there were about one-third fewer job advertisements for entry-level positions in 2025 than between 2019 and 2022.
- Who
- Swiss higher-education graduates, particularly university master’s graduates.
- What
- Unemployment one year after graduation increased between 2023 and 2025.
- When
- The comparison covers 2023 to 2025.
- Where
- Switzerland.
- Why
- Not stated
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The unemployment rate one year after graduation was 3.9% for university master’s graduates and 3.4% for graduates with bachelor’s degrees from universities of applied sciences.
The rates had risen to 6.4% for university master’s graduates and 4.9% for graduates with bachelor’s degrees from universities of applied sciences.
- University master’s graduates
- Unemployment one year after graduation rose from 3.9% in 2023 to 6.4% in 2025
- Universities of applied sciences
- Bachelor’s graduates’ unemployment rose from 3.4% in 2023 to 4.9% in 2025
- Entry-level job advertisements
- About one-third fewer were listed in 2025 than between 2019 and 2022
- Source of unemployment figures
- Swiss Federal Statistical Office