Employment prospects in Switzerland remain good — better, in fact, than in other countries — with many local companies planning to hire more workers.

This is the picture that emerges from a new survey by Manpower Group. It has found that in terms of recruitment, Switzerland  “stands out among global volatility and performs well in European comparison— 14 points above the regional average”.

According to Manpower’s metric, Switzerland’s “net employment outlook” stands at 29 percent. As a comparison,  this number in France is 18 percent, in Germany and Austria 17 percent, and in Italy 7 percent.

The main reason behind this trend is the ongoing acute shortage of qualified workers, also coupled with “demographic changes,” such as high numbers of retiring baby boomers, with both factors creating thousands of unfilled vacancies across the country.

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Which industries in particular are looking for new employees?

Healthcare and life sciences are at the top — 44 percent of companies in this sector are looking to recruit staff.

Next is the financial and real estate sector (43 percent of firms are trying to recruit new workers); transport, logistics, and automotive (42 percent); as well as consumer goods and services (41 percent).

What about the regions where workers are needed most?

At the top of the list is the Lake Geneva region (which includes Geneva and Vaud), where 50 percent of companies are looking to hire new employees.

It is followed by central Switzerland (49 percent), northwestern part of the country (45 percent), and the Zurich area (40 percent).

Overall, employers in all regions want to hire staff, with one exception — Ticino.

READ ALSO: Which job sectors in Switzerland employ the most foreign workers?