The first thing to do if you receive a termination notice from your employer is to check that you have been fired legally: Has the notice period been observed? Did your manager fire you while you were sick or pregnant? The web page on termination of employment can help you to do the necessary checks.
If you lose your job in Switzerland, you are entitled to receive unemployment benefit if you meet the following conditions:
You have become completely or partially unemployed.
You have worked as an employee for at least 12 months in the last 2 years (possible exceptions).
Switzerland is your main place of residence. If this is not the case, please refer to the section below on foreign nationals and cross-border commuters.
You have passed the age of compulsory education (15 years old), you have not yet reached retirement age (64 years old for women, 65 for men) and you are not receiving a retirement pension (AHV/OASI).
You must also:
be ready and immediately available to accept a job that matches your professional profile;
start looking for a new job during the notice period;
start looking for work three months before the end of your contract if you are on a fixed-term contract.
Keep a record of your search (e.g. applications and rejection letters) as you will have to submit them to the regional employment centre (RAV).
You must register as unemployed as soon as possible, but no later than the first day from which you wish to receive unemployment benefit.
Depending on your canton of residence, you can register by going in person to your commune or to your regional employment centre (RAV).
Choose one of the unemployment insurance funds that are available in your region. This is the fund that will pay your monthly benefit.
The regional employment centre will invite you to an information day and schedule an initial meeting with your RAV counsellor, who will advise you throughout your job search.
You will have to submit the following documents to your commune of residence, the regional employment centre or the unemployment fund, as appropriate:
OASI/IV (AHV/IV) insurance certificate or health insurance card
identity card or passport
certificate of residence from your commune or, if you are a foreign national, your residence permit
termination letter, references from previous employers, certificates showing educational and continuing education qualifications
documents from job searches carried out so far (application letters, replies received, etc.)
How much do I get?
You generally receive benefit equivalent to 70% of your insured salary, i.e. your average salary during the previous 6 months (or the previous 12 months, if this is to your advantage).
You receive 80% of your salary if you meet any one of the following requirements:
You have dependent children younger than 25 years old
Your monthly insured salary is less than CHF 3,797
You have a invalidity rating of at least 40%
How long is it paid for?
The table below shows how many days you are eligible for unemployment benefit, depending on your situation:
Length of contrib. (no. of months in the 2 years prior to enrolment) | Age | Dependents | No. of days eligible for unemployment benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
12 to 24 months | Up to age 25, without dependents | 200 (1) | |
12 to < 18 | Up to age 25 | 260 (1) | |
12 to < 18 | With dependents | 260 (1) | |
18 to 24 | 25 to 55 | 400 (1) | |
18 to 24 | With dependents | 400 (1) | |
22 to 24 | Over age 55 | 520 (1) | |
22 to 24 | Age 25 to 55 | Receiving a disability pension that corresponds to a degree of disability of at least 40%. | 520 (1) |
22 to 24 | With dependents | Receiving a disability pension that corresponds to a degree of disability of at least 40%. | 520 (1) |
Exempt from paying contributions | 90 |
(1) People who lose their jobs 4 years or less from the OASI/AHV retirement age. 120 days of unemployment benefits in addition to the time specified in this table (does not apply to people exempt from paying contributions)
SECO
Foreign nationals
If you are a foreign national working in Switzerland, you are entitled to unemployment benefit as long as you have either a settlement permit (C permit) or a residence permit (B permit).
If you have a short stay permit (L permit), you can stay in Switzerland for up to six months while looking for work. You can request the necessary special permit for this purpose by contacting the authorities responsible for immigration in your canton of residence.
Cross-border workers
You will normally receive unemployment benefits from your country of residence if you are a cross-border worker (G permit), but you can still take advantage of the services offered by your regional employment centre (RAV) when looking for a new job in Switzerland. In order to receive this support, you must register with the RAV centre in the region where you last worked in Switzerland.
You are not insured against unemployment if you are self-employed. You are therefore not entitled to any form of benefit should you be unable to find work.
You can consult the SECO guidelines on unemployment (available in German, French and Italian) and the work.swiss portal for more information.
Information specifically about short-time working compensation can be found on the corresponding web page.