In Switzerland, sectors like engineering, healthcare, and IT desperately need skilled workers, but qualified immigrants continue to face significant barriers in the job market, recent studies reveal. 

EU/EFTA nationals enjoy easier access to the Swiss labor market than workers from other countries who face strict admission criteria set by the Foreign Nationals and Integration Act. This law prioritizes highly qualified workers who demonstrate clear economic benefits. But even with this system, research from ETH Zurich has highlighted that immigrants often encounter barriers such as discrimination and bias during the recruitment process.

A ZHAW study describes the “bias blind spot,” which highlights the tendency of individuals, especially in HR, to underestimate their own bias. One HR professional acknowledged, “While the company does not intend to discriminate, these [recruitment] criteria inadvertently reinforce existing societal inequalities in access to opportunities“. They explain that hard academic criteria can create unintended barriers for candidates from migrant or lower-income backgrounds who may have had limited resources for educational support. 

In industries like engineering and technology, where the demand for specialized skills is high, the underutilization of immigrants is especially harmful. Often as qualified as their local counterparts, immigrant workers possess, in many cases, unique expertise that could drive innovation. Research also shows diverse teams are more likely to be innovative in their solutions due to the variety of perspectives and problem-solving approaches.

Moreover, industries like healthcare and construction face immediate labor shortages. Immigrants are often willing to take on roles in these sectors—roles that local workers may not fill due to demographic constraints. Without utilizing this workforce, critical sectors risk stagnation, which could lead to broader economic challenges.