Switzerland to Face Huge Shortage of Employees

SBA’s Head Gloom Predictions
    According to Valentin Vogt, the head of the Swiss Employers’ Association’s head, Switzerland will face in decade’s time huge shortage of employees – up to 700,000 workers per year. He made this comments in an interview for St Galler Tagblatt newspaper, that other media outlets reprinted. Valentin stated that when the generation of baby boomers would retire in number of one million, there would be only 500,000 employees on the market. There is an expectation to create additional 200,000 jobs, but still there will be shortage of 700,000 employees. Also, there is tendency of more older people taking pensions than younger entering the labour market. 
Solutions to Workers Shortage
    What are the solutions to provide employees to labour market when there will be lacking around 700,000 workers? The head of the SBA points out that the best solution would be for women to drop part-time job and step up to work full-time when it is possible, so that would cover some missing jobs. This though won’t be enough and is not solution for now. What could really change the situation is immigration and inflow of cross-border workers. Especially allowing immigrants to take up jobs in Switzerland would cover for lacks on the labour market. 
Voting on Immigration
    These findings are especially important in light of upcoming public vote in Swizterland. On May 17 there will be voting, as per proposal of right-wing party, to limit immigration and backtrack from the deal with European Union on free-movement of people. Right-wing party want to significantly limit number of immigrants coming to Switzerland for work. But as claims Vogt, without immigrants soon there will be no one to work in the country. Immigrants and cross-border workers are needed on the labour market, especially these skilled ones. Switzerland is the most attractive country for skilled employees, according to the Global Talent Competitiveness index.
Other Surveys
    Estimations by the SBA are the most pessimistic. A previous survey made by the Swiss bank UBS pointed that the gap of workers would be at 500,000 employees in ten years’ time, which would make up for 10% of working age population in 2030. The most affected branches would be technical ones: IT, engineering etc., where there is even now shortage of employees. There would be created lots of jobs in manual employees industry, for instance care workers. But the other survey published last November posted numbers closer to the SNB figures.