Free movement has more positive than negative effects for Switzerland, says Seco

Immigration from European countries remained stable in 2019. The free movement of people has more positive than negative effects on the Swiss labor market. The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) drew up its annual report on Monday.

According to the 16th report of the Observatory on the free movement of people between Switzerland and the EU, net migration compared to the EU and EFTA remained at the same level last year as that of 2018. L net immigration from these regions amounted to some 30,700 people, compared to 31,200 in 2018.

Compared to 2013, a record year with the net arrival of 68,000 people, the decline is 55%, according to the report. In the case of third countries, net immigration fell from 2,700 to 20,800 people in 2019.

No negative impact on salary trends

The level of immigration from European Union and EFTA countries essentially depends on the demand for labor in Switzerland, notes the report. Since 2010, the workforce in southern and eastern Europe has increased more than that in the north and west of the continent. This development can be explained by the economic situation in these countries.

There is no negative impact on the salary development of the indigenous population. Between 2008 and 2018, the median salary of the Swiss increased by 0.8%. In 2018, it stood at 6,873 francs, or 5.1% higher than the median salary of all employees taken together.

Immigration linked to the EU / EFTA also has positive repercussions on the 1st pillar. From the point of view of AVS and AI pensions, foreign nationals make a decisive contribution to the financing and consolidation of social security, according to the report.

A report published in a particular political context

The immigrant workforce is also more flexible. She does night or evening work more often than the active population born in Switzerland. The agreement on the free movement of people also favored the arrival of highly qualified workers.

In the three linguistic regions, this immigration has played an essential role in the growth of employment in recent years. Compared to German-speaking Switzerland, French-speaking Switzerland and Ticino experienced higher net immigration as well as more sustained growth in cross-border employment.

SECO publishes its report in a specific context this year. Next September 27, the Swiss will vote on the initiative “for moderate immigration” or initiative of limitation. The text launched by the SVP and the ASIN demands the end of the free movement of people with the EU to ensure the implementation of the text against mass immigration accepted in 2014 by the people.

Our press review: Faced with the initiative of the SVP, Karin Keller-Sutter plays the social partnership card

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