Switzerland: unemployment changed trend in January

Swiss unemployment rose in January to 3.7%, compared with 3.5% in December. This was stated this morning by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), according to which in late January the amount of unemployed people registered at the regional offices of placement was 164'466 , 5'094 more than in the previous month and 822 more than in January 2016 .

Among young people (15-24 years) the number of unemployed increased by 566 units (+ 2.9%) to reach a total of 19'782, which still corresponds to 1,398 persons less (-6, 6%) compared to 12 months ago. People who are looking for employment were 226'861, 3'448 more compared with December and 4'110 more with January 2016).

In Ticino, the unemployment rate rose to 4% (+0.1 points compared to December), while in the Grisons stagnated at 1.9%. Another high rate is recorded in Neuchatel (6.6%, +0.3 points), ahead of Geneva (5.7%, +0.2), Jura (5.3%, +0.2), Vaud ( 5.2%, +0.2) and Valais (5.2%, +0.1). The lower rates are recorded in Obwalden (1%, unchanged), Nidwalden (1.3%, unchanged), Appenzell (1.4%, unchanged) and Uri (1.5%, +0.2).

In German-speaking Switzerland, unemployment stopped at 3.1%, unchanged from December, while in the area covering Western Switzerland and Ticino rose from 4.8% to 5.0%. SECO also indicates that among women the rate was 3.2% in January (unchanged from December) and among men by 4.0% (+0.2 points).

Among the Swiss, the rate stood at 2.5% in January, unchanged from the previous month, while among foreigners rose from 6.6% to 6.9%. SECO also provides data by age group: 3.6% (+0.1) in the 15-24 age range; 3.9% (+0.1) in the 25-49 age group and 3.1% (+0.1) among people over 50-year-old.