Switzerland’s Urgent Quest: Seeking 85,000 Foreign Workers?

Swiss Labor Shortage Claims Debunked: No Mass Recruitment Campaign Underway

Reports claiming that Switzerland is urgently recruiting 85,000 foreign workers have spread across international media platforms in recent weeks, prompting widespread interest across Europe and beyond. However, an investigation by Swiss public broadcaster RTS reveals most of these claims are unfounded.

The narrative began with an article published by French magazine Aufeminin, which asserted that Switzerland was “opening its doors wide” to 85,000 foreigners who could earn up to €6,500 (approximately 6,000 Swiss francs) monthly. As the story spread, particularly on social media, additional fabricated elements emerged, including claims that the Swiss government had enacted emergency legislation to facilitate this mass recruitment.

These reports gained significant traction online, reaching audiences throughout the European Union and as far as Tunisia. While the story contains kernels of truth, much of the information is demonstrably false.

Switzerland does indeed face labor shortages in specific sectors such as healthcare and information technology—a common challenge in many developed economies. However, characterizing this as a nationwide emergency requiring the immediate recruitment of tens of thousands of workers significantly distorts reality.

A critical oversight in these reports is the failure to mention that Switzerland’s labor market is primarily accessible to citizens of European Union and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries, which include Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein. This omission creates the misleading impression that Switzerland is recruiting workers from all countries, including those outside Europe, which is not the case under current immigration policies.

The salary range mentioned—between €3,500 and €6,500 monthly—does reflect realistic compensation in Switzerland, depending on position and industry. However, social media commentators correctly pointed out that the lower end of this scale (approximately 3,270 Swiss francs) would barely cover basic living expenses in Switzerland, known for its high cost of living.

When RTS investigated the source of the specific figure of 85,000 workers, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) stated it was “unable to determine the origin of this data” and recommended “extreme caution when interpreting these figures.”

Further research led to an interesting discovery: in February 2024, recruitment agency Adecco, often cited in these articles, announced a global commitment to recruit 85,000 refugees and train 17,000 people by the end of 2027. This figure appears to have been misappropriated and falsely connected to Switzerland’s labor market needs.

“We were unaware of this fake news,” said Nadia Vitale, spokesperson for Adecco Switzerland. “In our 2025 Swiss Labour Shortage Index, we actually observed that the shortage is easing for the second consecutive year due to the economic slowdown.”

Patrick Haack, professor of strategy and responsible management at the Business School in Lausanne, explained why such misinformation gains traction: “At first glance, this information may seem credible, especially since there is often some truth to it. The intentional dissemination of false content, known as disinformation, is now widespread in both digital and traditional media.”

Haack suggested this particular case likely represents “clickbait”—content designed to attract attention through exaggerated or misleading headlines, ultimately driving traffic to websites for advertising revenue or other purposes.

This incident highlights the ongoing challenge of verifying information in an era where news travels rapidly across borders and platforms, often becoming distorted along the way. While Switzerland continues to rely on skilled foreign workers in certain sectors, claims of a nationwide recruitment campaign for 85,000 workers remain firmly in the realm of misinformation.