BERN: The Swiss unemployment rate fell for the second month in a row in April, dipping to 3.3 percent from 3.4 percent in the previous month, government figures released on Friday showed. The number of people registered for jobless benefits dropped by almost 4,000 people to 141,131 as of April 30th, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco) said in its monthly report.
The figures are further proof of the resilience of Switzerland’s economy despite the strength of the franc, which economists said would hurt economic growth because of its impact on companies that depend on exports. Of course, that impact could still be felt later in the year but for now figures suggest the jobs situation remains relatively robust. The unemployment rate of foreigners fell to 6.4 percent from 6.7 percent while the rate for Swiss citizens remained unchanged at 2.3 percent.
