As of 1 January 2026, the updated Swiss job vacancy reporting obligation (“Stellenmeldepflicht”) will enter into force, following the annual revision published during the last quarter of the preceding year.
What is the job vacancy reporting obligation?
In Switzerland, employers are required to notify job vacancies to the Regional Employment Centres (RAV/ORP) before advertising them publicly when these positions fall under an embargo regime.
This obligation applies only to specific occupational categories and is designed to give registered jobseekers in Switzerland early and exclusive access to vacancies, thereby supporting the domestic labour market.
Which professions are subject to the obligation?
The determining criterion is the unemployment rate by occupation:
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If the unemployment rate of a specific occupational category reaches at least 5%, that profession becomes subject to the reporting obligation.
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The list of affected professions is updated annually, based solely on this statistical threshold.
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Each updated list applies from 1 January to 31 December of the following year.
Increase in Occupations Subject to the Job Vacancy Reporting Obligation in 2026
The number of occupational categories subject to the Swiss job vacancy reporting obligation has increased again compared to the previous year (2025). All occupations that were subject to the reporting obligation in 2025 will remain subject to it in 2026.
In 2026, the occupational category subject to the reporting obligation with the largest number of active workers continues to be construction labourers, with 88,187 active workers.
Positions for cleaning staff in offices, hotels, and other establishments had not been subject to the reporting obligation since 2023. However, during the reference period used to establish the 2026 list, this occupational category recorded an unemployment rate of 5.3%, thereby exceeding the 5% threshold.
Similarly, cook positions were not subject to the reporting obligation between 2023 and 2025, having last been included in 2022. Once again, during the relevant reference period, the unemployment rate reached 5.3%, exceeding the statutory threshold.
As a result, both occupational categories will once again be subject to the job vacancy reporting obligation in 2026.
While in 2025 6.5% of the active workforce was employed in occupations subject to the reporting obligation, this proportion will rise significantly to 10.8% in 2026.
What does this mean in practice for employers?
For vacancies subject to the reporting obligation:
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Employers must first announce the position to the RAV/ORP.
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The vacancy remains under an embargo period, during which it can only be accessed by registered jobseekers. The embargo is of 5 working days.
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Public advertising (on job boards, company websites, LinkedIn, or via recruiters) is only permitted after the embargo period has expired.
⚠️ Failure to comply may result in administrative sanctions and can create complications, particularly in the context of work permit applications. Note exceptions to the announcement obligation do exist. Get in touch with SIL to find out if they are applicable to your specific case.
The 2026 list is now available
The official list of professions subject to the reporting obligation for 2026 has been published and is now available via Arbeit.Swiss. Employers are strongly encouraged to verify whether their planned hires fall within the scope of this obligation before launching recruitment campaigns. Such verification can be done via the official Check-up 2026 tool.
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