swissstaffing - Verband der Personaldienstleister der Schweiz
Swiss Staffingindex: staffing service providers defy Iran conflict
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Dübendorf (ots)
The temporary staffing market has begun to recover for the first time in twelve quarters, despite the conflict in Iran. The market for permanent positions is still suffering. However, this upturn is still fragile.
The 1st quarter of 2026 marked the end to numerous years of decline for staffing service providers in Switzerland: after twelve quarters in negative figures, the number of hours worked by temporary workers increased by 1.3 percent compared with the previous year. The permanent staffing sector, on the other hand, is still being adversely affected by the economic slowdown and an uncertain business environment. This market segment has trended downwards for the eleventh quarter in a row, with a drop of 16.9 percent. The Swiss Staffingindex, as a barometer for the Swiss economy as a whole, is therefore reflecting positive labor market and economic trends.
The temporary market experienced profound stabilization in the 1st quarter, with some significant regional differences. Industrial companies in eastern Switzerland increasingly had to deploy short-time working for their permanent staff and had no need for temporary workers. As a result, business in the region dropped by 2.2 percent compared with the same quarter in the previous year. Mittelland, on the other hand, saw a rise of 5.5 percent, thanks in particular to the watch industry. Marcel Keller, Country President Adecco Group Switzerland, explains: "This slight improvement in the first quarter is not a broad upswing, but rather a selective counter-movement in specific clusters of industry - especially in Mittelland. After numerous weak quarters, companies are responding conservatively with temporary appointments but remain very cautious overall."
No business impact from Iran conflict in March
The Iran conflict had not yet made an impact in March. The number of hours worked increased by 1.1 percent compared with the previous year - lower than January but higher than February. Dr. Marius Osterfeld, an economist at swissstaffing, puts things into perspective: "By historical standards, energy prices only experienced a moderate increase in March, despite the noticeable impact at the gas pumps. This means that the Iran conflict did not significantly affect staffing service providers' business." Any impact on business in March would have been significant for the sector's development during the 1st quarter, as the number of hours worked during this business month is generally around 20 percent higher than in January due to seasonal factors. However, Osterfeld is not sounding the all-clear for the coming months: "If the conflict in the Strait of Hormuz is not resolved, this will hit Swiss industry particularly hard - including staff leasing." Around a quarter of the turnover achieved by staffing service providers comes from the industrial sector, meaning that the staffing industry is particularly sensitive to developments there.
However, Osterfeld notes that the Iran conflict is boosting other market segments: "Uncertainty about fuel prices and flight cancellations could increasingly prompt undecided customers to spend their holidays in Switzerland or invest in consumer products rather than booking vacations. This increases demand for restaurants, hotels, logistics, and retail." Nevertheless, the overall impact remains negative, as some of the money saved is eaten up by price rises. Despite the tense geopolitical situation, the CEOs of swissstaffing's member companies remain optimistic. A membership survey conducted by opinion and social research institute gfs-zürich found that 38 percent of the CEOs responding expected to see an upward trend in business over the next six months - similar to the findings from the survey in the previous quarter.
For more information, please contact:
Dr. Marius Osterfeld, Head of Economics & Politics
Tel.: +41 (0)44 388 95 70 / +41 (0)79 930 45 25
marius.osterfeld@swissstaffing.ch
Celeste Bella, Head of Marketing & Communication
Tel.: +41 (0)44 388 95 65 / +41 (0)79 388 94 22
celeste.bella@swissstaffing.ch
www.swissstaffing.ch