Switzerland: the manufacturing data behind a 2026 plant decision
Pharmaceuticals carrying the national figures, the machinery, electrical and metal industry standing still, exports to the United States falling under tariffs, and the highest wages in Europe. What the Federal Statistical Office, SECO and Swissmem say about a Swiss plant in 2026.
Output and exports
Manufacturing value added grew 2.4% in 2025, with coke, refined petroleum, chemicals and pharmaceuticals up 8.1%, while GDP grew 1.6% (FSO, 25 August 2026). Chemical and pharmaceutical exports reached a record CHF 152bn in 2025, within total goods exports of CHF 287bn, and goods exports to the United States rose 3.9% to CHF 54.7bn (SRF, reporting customs data). The national figures therefore describe a pharmaceutical boom more than the typical Swiss plant.
The machinery, electrical and metal industry
| Indicator | 2025 vs 2024 | H1 2026 vs H1 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Orders received | +1.4% | +12.1% |
| Sales | -0.3% | +2.5% |
| Goods exports | +0.7% (CHF 68.1bn) | +1.7% |
| Exports to the United States | -7.6% (Q4 2025: -18%) | -5.3% |
| Sales of SMEs | · | -3.8% |
| Capacity utilisation (long-term average 85.6%) | 81.5% (Q4 2025) | 81.1% (Q2 2026) |
| Employees | 322,900 in Q4 2025, 6,600 fewer than a year earlier | · |
Swissmem media releases of 2 March 2026 and 24 August 2026. An industry association, not official statistics. The first-half order growth partly reflects a weak first half of 2025.
The US tariff regime changed again in 2026. Since 24 July 2026, the United States levies a variable additional tariff of up to 12.5% on Swiss goods, with existing most-favoured-nation duties counted towards it; it replaced the additional tariffs applied since February 2026, sector-specific tariffs still apply, and negotiations on a trade agreement continue (SECO). Swissmem notes that the rate is 2.5 percentage points above the one applied to products from the EU.
Jobs, recruitment and wages
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Jobs in the secondary sector (industry and construction) | 1.148 million, +13,100 (+1.2%) on a year earlier | 2026 Q2 |
| Job vacancies in the secondary sector, change on a year earlier | +21.8% | 2026 Q2 |
| Firms reporting difficulty recruiting skilled workers, all sectors | 33.9% | 2026 Q2 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.0% | August 2026 |
| Persons on short-time work, all sectors | 8,331 | May 2026 |
| Median gross monthly wage, full time: whole economy | CHF 7,024 | 2024 |
| Median gross monthly wage, full time: machinery manufacturing | CHF 7,632 | 2024 |
| Median gross monthly wage, full time: pharmaceutical industry | CHF 10,159 | 2024 |
FSO employment statistics BESTA, press release of 27 August 2026 (secondary sector includes construction; no manufacturing-only figures in the release); SECO labour market report of 7 September 2026; FSO Swiss Earnings Structure Survey 2024 (25 November 2025).
Switzerland publishes no hourly labour cost comparable with Eurostat’s. Our OEE comparison uses a TEEPTRAK estimate of CHF 56.9 an hour: the CHF 7,632 machinery median over twelve months, plus 14.9% employer social contributions, divided by 1,850 hours worked. That is the most expensive working hour in the 22 countries we compare.
Energy
Avenir Suisse ranks Swiss electricity prices for medium-sized business customers second-highest in Europe (30 April 2026). There is no single published industrial tariff: prices depend on the grid operator and on whether a firm buys on the free market. Our OEE comparison therefore uses a floor, the German band ID price converted to francs, and asks each plant to enter its contract price. Federal ProKilowatt funding for efficiency projects is covered on factoryoptimizationai.com.
What this means for a plant here
- The hour is the expensive part. At the CHF 56.9 estimate, twenty operators waiting for one eight-hour shift is about CHF 9,100 of direct labour. Arithmetic on the estimate above, before machine, order or penalty effects.
- Spare capacity costs money under tariffs. At 81% utilisation against a long-term 85.6%, fixed costs are spread over fewer units just as the US tariff squeezes margins. Cost per good part is the number to defend.
- Know what a point is worth. On a reference two-shift line, one OEE point is worth CHF 15,397 a year at Swiss costs, the highest value in our 22-country comparison.
- SMEs are under more pressure than the averages show. MEM SME sales fell 3.8% in the first half of 2026 while the industry total rose; a light, measured first step fits that situation better than a plant-wide system.
- What an OEE system really costs: the 3-year calculator
- What one OEE point is worth in Switzerland
- Western European manufacturing in 2026: the data
- Germany: the manufacturing data
- Austria: the manufacturing data
- Italy: the manufacturing data
- France: the manufacturing data
A PDF with the Swiss figure in francs and euros, the sensitivity to shifts, crew and starting OEE, the 22-country table and the sources. In German, French or English.
Questions
- Did Swiss manufacturing grow in 2025?
- Yes, value added grew 2.4%, led by chemicals and pharmaceuticals (+8.1%), while GDP grew 1.6% (FSO, 25 August 2026). The machinery, electrical and metal industry was flat: orders +1.4%, sales -0.3% (Swissmem).
- What US tariff applies to Swiss goods?
- Since 24 July 2026, a variable additional tariff of up to 12.5%, with existing most-favoured-nation duties counted towards it; sector-specific tariffs still apply (SECO). MEM exports to the United States fell 7.6% in 2025 and 5.3% in the first half of 2026 (Swissmem).
- How full are Swiss factories?
- In the MEM industry, capacity utilisation was 81.1% in 2026 Q2, against a long-term average of 85.6% (Swissmem).
- What does a Swiss machinery worker earn?
- The median gross monthly wage for a full-time job in machinery manufacturing was CHF 7,632 in 2024, against CHF 7,024 for the whole economy and CHF 10,159 in pharmaceuticals (FSO Swiss Earnings Structure Survey 2024).
- Is there a skills shortage in Swiss industry?
- 33.9% of firms across all sectors reported difficulty recruiting skilled workers in 2026 Q2, and vacancies in industry and construction were 21.8% higher than a year earlier (FSO).
Sources
- FSO/BFS: Swiss GDP growth stable in 2025, press release (25 August 2026)
- FSO/BFS: employment statistics BESTA, 2nd quarter 2026, press release (27 August 2026)
- FSO/BFS: Swiss Earnings Structure Survey 2024, press conference document (25 November 2025)
- Swiss Federal Council: Swiss Earnings Structure Survey 2024, press release (25 November 2025)
- Swissmem: Tech industry 2025, between stagnation and bright spots (2 March 2026)
- Swissmem: the recovery in the tech industry remains fragile, H1 2026 (24 August 2026, via Swiss-Press)
- SECO: trade relations Switzerland-USA
- SECO: the labour market situation, August 2026 (7 September 2026)
- SRF, 29 January 2026: Swiss exports reach a record in 2025 thanks to chemicals and pharma (reproduction of BAZG data)
- Avenir Suisse, 30 April 2026: what smaller and mid-sized firms pay for electricity
Published by TEEPTRAK SAS, which makes production-monitoring and OEE software. Every figure is sourced on the page; estimates marked as ours are calculations on the published figures. Statistics are revised: check the official release before you budget or commit.