The Swiss job market for artificial intelligence (AI) has expanded markedly in a year. Between July 2025 and June 2026, just under 5000 AI-related positions were advertised in Switzerland, 32% more than in the previous twelve months. That is the finding of a study by the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU) published on Thursday 8 October 2026 and reported by SWI swissinfo.ch. Behind this overall figure, however, demand is concentrated in certain sectors, certain regions and above all certain profiles.
SMEs, the main driver of the increase
Contrary to a widespread belief, it is not primarily the big technology groups that are driving this market. According to the study, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) account for 76% of the growth in AI job offers.
“AI is no longer the preserve of large technology companies alone; it is increasingly being integrated into the processes and services of established SMEs,” said the study’s author, Curdin Derungs, quoted in the press release.
For the Swiss economy, made up largely of SMEs, this finding carries particular weight: AI is leaving the circle of digital specialists and entering the day-to-day activities of more traditional companies. It should be borne in mind, however, that the study measures advertised positions, not hires actually made.
IT in the lead, public sector growing fastest
The IT sector remains the largest source of job offers, with 1211 positions, up 49% year on year, a faster increase than that of the AI market as a whole (+32%).
Demand extends well beyond the technology sector alone. Banks and insurers are also recruiting AI specialists, with the study citing Axa, Julius Bär and the Swiss National Bank. In pharma, Roche, Novartis and Lonza are among the employers mentioned, while Siemens, Hitachi Energy and ABB are among the main recruiters in engineering.
The strongest growth, however, was recorded in the public sector, with an increase of 67%. The canton and city of Zurich and the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) are among its main employers. “The growth in AI-related positions in the public sector in particular suggests that policymakers and authorities are gaining confidence in AI as a technology of the future,” says Curdin Derungs. This is the author’s interpretation, not a quantified finding on the intentions of public administrations.
Zurich accounts for nearly half of the positions
Geographically, demand is highly concentrated. Zurich is clearly in the lead with 2181 positions, or 45% of all AI-related job offers. Far behind come the cantons of Geneva, with around 620 positions, and Bern, with around 590.
In other words, Zurich alone advertises more than three times as many job offers as Geneva or Bern. The breakdown of positions among the other cantons is not detailed in the source.
Juniors are left by the wayside
The growth benefits experienced profiles first and foremost. Demand is particularly for professionals able to develop and implement AI systems: the number of job offers for experienced specialists rose by 42%, a faster pace than that of the market as a whole.
For people at the start of their careers, the situation is much less favourable. Only 5% of the advertised positions were for permanent junior jobs. Even for entry-level positions, two to three years of professional experience were often required, according to the study.
University graduates told the authors of job searches lasting several months and dozens of unsuccessful applications. “Newcomers to the labour market describe it as extremely competitive,” notes Curdin Derungs.
A more nuanced picture than it seems
The study’s figures do not tell a one-sided story. On the one hand, the volume of job offers and the 42% increase in positions for experienced specialists point to a buoyant market. On the other, Curdin Derungs says he is surprised to find that even experienced professionals are having increasing difficulty in their job search.
These two observations are not necessarily contradictory: an increase in job offers does not mean that every candidate matches the skills being sought, nor that the labour supply is growing more slowly than demand. The available data do not make it possible to decide between these readings. Moreover, they describe a past period, from July 2025 to June 2026, and do not constitute a forecast for the months ahead.
For companies, especially the SMEs driving the increase, as for young graduates, the challenge therefore lies less in the total number of positions than in the match between the profiles being trained and those employers are looking for.
