Swiss SMEs drive sharp rise in artificial-intelligence vacancies

Nearly 5,000 AI vacancies were advertised in Switzerland in the year to June 2026, up 32% in 12 months. The figures from the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts show that artificial intelligence has moved deeper into the country’s mainstream economy. Hiring is expanding beyond specialist technology companies and into businesses that have operated for decades in finance, pharmaceuticals, engineering and public administration.

Small and medium-sized enterprises supplied 76% of the growth in advertised roles. That gives the expansion a distinctly Swiss profile: AI recruitment is reaching the manufacturers, service providers and established family businesses that form the backbone of the national economy. These companies are hiring to develop and implement systems, according to the study, rather than treating AI as a distant research project.

Curdin Derungs, the study’s author, said established SMEs were increasingly integrating AI into their processes and services. The shift matters for the labour market because it broadens the range of employers competing for people with data, software and implementation skills. It also places AI alongside more familiar business functions, from production planning to customer services and risk management.

IT remained the largest source of AI vacancies, with 1,211 roles and 49% growth. The demand, however, stretches across the industries that define Switzerland’s economic landscape. Banks and insurers including Axa, Julius Bär and the Swiss National Bank sought AI specialists. Pharmaceutical groups Roche, Novartis and Lonza also appeared among the employers recruiting for these skills.

Engineering companies are part of the same hiring wave. Siemens, Hitachi Energy and ABB were identified as leading employers in the sector, where AI can support industrial design, energy systems, maintenance and automation. The available source does not break down every vacancy by function, so the figures do not show how many jobs involve machine learning research compared with deployment, governance or data operations.

Public administration recorded the fastest growth, at 67%. The Canton and City of Zurich and the Federal Office of Public Health were among the largest public-sector employers. Derungs said the increase indicates stronger confidence among policymakers and public authorities in AI as a technology with a future role in government services. Recruitment is therefore spreading through both commercial and civic institutions.

Zurich captured 2,181 AI vacancies, or 45% of the national total. The canton was well ahead of Geneva, with around 620 roles, and Bern, with around 590. The distribution reflects Zurich’s concentration of technology companies, financial institutions, corporate headquarters and research networks, while Geneva and Bern bring their own international, administrative and scientific employers into the market.

The regional figures also show that AI recruitment is becoming a national labour-market issue, even though opportunity remains heavily concentrated. A candidate in Zurich encounters a much larger pool of openings than one in many other parts of the country. The study does not establish how many jobs can be performed remotely or whether vacancies are open to applicants outside the canton.

For SMEs, location may shape access to talent. Smaller firms competing with banks, technology groups and public bodies need people who can translate AI tools into workable products and internal systems. Switzerland’s multilingual labour market adds another layer to that competition. The published study identifies the leading cantons, but it does not provide a complete ranking of all 26 cantons or a breakdown by language region.