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The number of cross-border commuters to Switzerland continues to rise. They are drawn to the booming economy and good wages.
Driving across the Swiss border to work in the morning. In the evening the same way home in the neighboring country. Around seven percent of all employees in Switzerland are cross-border commuters. You work in Switzerland, but live and breathe in France, Italy or Germany. As new figures from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) show, their number rose by 6.1 percent to around 380,000 in the past quarter compared to the same quarter of the previous year.
Typically, border regions register the most people who enter Switzerland every day for work. Regions that are largely surrounded by neighboring countries are particularly badly affected. According to one Report of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco) Ticino has the highest proportion of cross-border commuters with 31 percent, followed by the canton of Geneva with 25 percent.
According to FSO figures, around 7,300 (+7.6 percent) in the canton of Geneva and 3,300 (+4.4 percent) in the canton of Ticino from neighboring countries were added in the past quarter. Vaud also recorded growth (+10.6 percent) in the last quarter with around 3,900 new cross-border commuters.
Companies recruit in neighboring countries
From Seco’s point of view, immigration is driven by the economy. “As a result of the still very good economic situation, the Swiss labor market is close to full employment and there is a general shortage of skilled workers. As a result, companies are also recruiting in neighboring countries to meet their needs,” writes the Seco.
Yngve Abrahamsen from the Economic Research Center at ETH Zurich (KOF) also sees the economic situation as an important reason for the growing number of cross-border commuters. In addition, public transport in the Geneva and Ticino regions has been expanded in recent years. “The Léman Express or the S-Bahn connections in Ticino have made it easier to live outside of Switzerland.”
After all, a job in Switzerland is also financially attractive for cross-border commuters. “Abroad, where you live, you have lower living costs. At the same time, they can benefit from the high wages in Switzerland,” explains Abrahamsen.
Majority work in the service sector
According to the FSO figures, at the end of 2022 most cross-border commuters (68.6 percent) worked in the service sector. 30.7 percent worked in construction and industry and 0.7 percent in agriculture.
In the canton of Geneva, for example, workers are in demand specifically in retail, in the health sector and in industry, as Economics Director Fabienne Fischer (Greens) says. “There is a shortage of skilled workers in these three areas.”
The so-called “frontaliers” are not only welcome in Geneva. They are often accused of clogging the streets and public transport. There are also fears that low wages will increase comes.
“I think we are very well prepared against wage dumping,” says State Councilor Fischer. On the one hand there would be a statutory minimum wage, on the other hand the social partnership between employees and companies would work well.