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Switzerland is a very stable economy, thanks in part to its neutrality and therefore its attractiveness to foreign investors. It has a low unemployment rate and one of the highest standards of living in the world. Whilst it only has around 8 million inhabitants it is highly mountainous and the cities are densely populated due to the inaccessibility of much of the countryside. Despite this it remains a popular place to go and work with relatively high wages, moderate taxes, high levels of education and good opportunities for skilled workers.

The main industries found in this small but well-heeled central European nation are as follows: Machine and electrical manufacturing of high precision motors, generators and turbines, particularly in relation to power or industrial plants, but also it is the home to some of the finest watchmakers. Names like TAG-Heuer and Hublot are renowned throughout the world for precision and reliability. Chemicals, Food Processing (Nestle for example) and Pharmaceuticals are also important exports for Switzerland, with many of the world’s big pharmaceutical companies based here, names like Roche and Novartis for example have their headquarters in Switzerland. The world famous Financial Services industry including banking and insurance makes up nearly 12% of the GDP of Switzerland and Swiss banks hold an estimated 28% of worldwide ‘offshore’ funds. Tourism is also an important industry for the Swiss making up about 3% of the total GDP.

In short Switzerland is a good choice of country to work in, it’s not cheap to live here but you get a high standard of living, fantastic jobs and if you do have a family your children will get a great education.