Particularly in demand: employees with qualifications in the area of sustainability

The latest ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey shows: Despite global as well as regional risks, Swiss employers are optimistic. For Q4 2022, the employment outlook is 21%, with a net employment outlook of 30% expected globally. "Taking into account that the survey was conducted under the impact of increased geopolitical and economic risks, the war in Ukraine or the aftermath of the pandemic, the employment outlook is still considered positive. It is noteworthy that in the area of sustainability or ESG, companies cite social aspects such as health, diversity or social commitment in the first place. This is an indicator that there is a growing awareness of the need to invest in human capital in a sustainable way in order to attract and retain employees and to meet needs such as flexibility," says Jan Jacob, Country Manager ManpowerGroup Switzerland, summarizing the Swiss labor market.

People qualified for the area of sustainability in demand

Many companies have a sustainability or ESG program. However, the focus varies and different skills are sought accordingly. In the next 12 months, 37% of the companies surveyed plan to hire employees who can support improvements in environmental impacts. 34% are looking for professionals who can develop governance and 33% are looking for talent who can drive social aspects such as safety, health, diversity or community engagement. According to the companies surveyed, ESG programs are/were introduced primarily to reduce costs, comply with regulations, or build reputation. Furthermore, values, external expectations, but also the benefits for employee recruitment and retention were cited as important reasons for implementing sustainable strategies.

To implement their sustainability strategy, 80% of the companies surveyed rely on internal solutions (multiple answers possible). Employees are to be further qualified and trained (43%), additional employees are to be hired (39%) and additional ESG responsibilities are to be assigned to existing functions (37%). 29% of companies rely on external consultants to become more sustainable. Only 8% of respondents said that all the necessary skills are available within the company. "Employees with expertise in the areas of environment, health and safety are most sought after. The top 10 mentions for specific skills include recycling and waste management, ecosystem and biodiversity management, workforce planning or cybersecurity. This shows how versatile companies are in their approach to the topic of sustainability," Jan Jacob emphasizes.

Employment outlook remains optimistic

The positive hiring intentions of Swiss employers this year will remain in place in the fourth quarter of 2022. 36% of companies plan to hire staff, 16% foresee layoffs. The resulting adjusted net employment outlook* of 21% joins the above-average outlook this year. Compared to the fourth quarter of 2021 (8%), the employment outlook improves by 14 percentage points. All seven Swiss regions report positive employment prospects for the fourth quarter of 2022. The optimistic trend thus continues this year, with net employment prospects forecast to decline in 5 of 7 regions compared with the third quarter of 2022.

Primary and secondary sectors booming

With the exception of the "banking, finance, insurance and real estate" sector, the employment outlook for Q4 2022 is positive in all sectors of the economy, as it is compared with Q4 2021. Compared with Q3 2022, however, 6 of 11 sectors report a decline in employment. Employees in "primary production" benefit most from the positive development (net employment outlook: +21 percentage points compared to Q3 2022, +33 percentage points compared to Q4 2021). The employment outlook is also exceptional for the "Production, processing" segment. Here, a net employment outlook of 34% is expected. This represents an increase of 20 percentage points from Q4 2021. One possible reason for the increases in the employment outlook in these two segments could be employers planning ahead to better respond to supply shortages. The energy sector in particular is booming. Skilled workers in photovoltaics are particularly sought after, underscoring this sector's performance.
The decline in hiring (-8% Net Employment Outlook Q4 2022, -37 percentage points from Q3 2022) in the "Banking, Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate" sector is likely due to economic conditions.

Source: Manpower Group