Swiss small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are struggling to find staff, a problem made more acute by the increased bargaining power of employees and increased absenteeism. These are the findings of a periodic study carried out by insurer Axa in cooperation with research institute Sotomo. Labour shortages remain by far the biggest challenge for SMEs: 44% of the companies surveyed - 300 in German-speaking Switzerland and French-speaking Switzerland between March 3 and 10 - always or almost always had difficulty filling vacancies, and a further 40% struggled at least to some extent. Only 16% had no problem finding the required staff. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox. These difficulties are exacerbated by employee absenteeism, a problem that has clearly worsened over the past four years: for about a quarter of the companies surveyed, this issue is now a major challenge. "Despite the weakening economy, labour shortages therefore remain a structural ...
