Swiss Employment Rises to 5.53 Million in Second Quarter

Swiss employment outside the farm sector in the second quarter edged up to 5.532 million, according to official figures released on 25 August. The tally was about 20,000 higher than the previous quarter’s 5.512 million, underscoring resilient labour demand despite slowing growth across Europe. The latest reading leaves headcount roughly 0.4% above the prior period and extends a steady expansion that has taken total payrolls to fresh records over the past year. In a separate indicator of domestic financial conditions, Swiss National Bank data showed total sight deposits at commercial banks rose to CHF 469.5 billion in the week to 22 August from CHF 465.7 billion a week earlier. The increase in readily available liquidity comes as investors weigh the SNB’s policy path after it paused rate rises in June.