Of the three million jobs analyzed, 28 percent of the profiles show high AI exposure—that corresponds to more than 857,000 jobs with a total payroll of more than 80 billion Swiss francs. This is shown by a new analysis from the think tank einstAIn, sponsored by Angestellte Schweiz and Kuble – House of Intelligence. For the Swiss labor market, this means that AI is changing the office first, not the factory floor.

Administration and Finance Are the Hardest-Hit Sectors in the Swiss Labor Market

According to the analysis, in the administration and management sector, nearly all of the occupations examined fall into the category with high AI exposure. In the finance and law sector, the figure is 72 percent. In contrast, skilled trades and construction show virtually no AI exposure, while health, nursing, and social work professions are also less affected. Initial studies from Switzerland also show that the number of job seekers is rising more sharply in occupational groups with high AI influence compared to those that are not affected. The analysis concludes: Wherever a screen is lit, AI is changing the nature of work.

Exposure does not mean job cuts

The analysis shows in which occupations AI can take over or accelerate tasks. Whether AI leads to growth or job losses depends largely on demand and the strategic decisions made by businesses and policymakers. In industries with growing demand, higher productivity could enable additional value creation. In sectors with stable demand, the same trend could lead to reduced staffing needs. The crucial question, therefore, is not «Will my job disappear?» but rather «How will my work change?»

Patrick Chuard-Keller, chief economist at the Swiss Employers« Association, notes: »The fact that many professions are significantly affected by AI does not automatically mean job losses. For companies, the focus is on how they can harness this potential for growth and new activities.”

The bottleneck isn't the technology

The biggest challenge for the Swiss labor market lies not in the technology itself, but in the speed at which companies, the education system, and the workforce develop new skills. «The ability to adapt and learn must outpace displacement,» the statement says. Those who use AI solely to cut costs will achieve short-term efficiency gains. Those who use AI to develop new services, products, and business models will create additional value and new employment opportunities.

Roger Oberholzer, partner and Academy Lead at Kuble – House of Intelligence, sums it up: «The middle segment of the Swiss labor market needs to reinvent itself the fastest. In our training programs, we see every day how AI can unlock innovation potential when companies view it not just as a cost-cutting measure, but as an opportunity for new services and products.»

AI Is Becoming a Demographic Necessity

At the same time, Switzerland faces a historic demographic challenge. Between 2023 and 2029, approximately 788,000 people will reach—or have already reached—retirement age. During the same period, only about 640,000 young people will enter the labor market. This threatens to create a shortfall of about 148,000 workers. Higher productivity is therefore not just an opportunity, but a prerequisite for Switzerland to secure its prosperity and competitiveness.

Alexander Bélaz, president of Angestellte Schweiz, emphasizes: «Employees must not be left to fend for themselves during the AI transformation and retraining process. Productivity gains from AI must also benefit those whose work is being reorganized.»

Switzerland Needs an AI Skills Initiative

The technology is already available. The key factor will be how quickly millions of work hours in offices, government agencies, and service professions can be made not only more productive but also more value-adding. The analysis therefore points to a clear priority: Switzerland needs a broad-based AI training initiative. Whether the more than 80 billion francs in total wages within the sphere of influence of AI will lead to greater prosperity or greater uncertainty is determined not by the algorithms, but by the decisions made by businesses, policymakers, and educational institutions.

Dominik Blunschy, Member of the National Council and Advisor for Digital Business & Innovation at ti&m, emphasizes: «Artificial intelligence isn’t changing the world of work at some point in the future—it’s changing it right now. It is crucial that we view this transformation not merely as a cost-cutting measure, but as an opportunity for greater productivity, innovation, and value creation.»

The dashboard showing AI exposure for 86 Swiss occupational groups is publicly available: https://jobs.einstain.ch/

Basics instead of tool hopping

Many companies train their employees in the use of individual AI applications. Oberholzer believes this is too short-sighted: anyone who only knows how to use one tool will immediately lose touch with the next generation of models. A fundamental understanding of the technology is crucial - how it works, what its limits are and what risks it entails. In Kuble's training courses, the basics are therefore taught first before concrete applications come into play. This allays fears, increases motivation - and creates resilience for the next change.

The half-life of experience is falling rapidly

Lifelong learning has been an issue for some time - but its urgency has reached a new level. "I can test something today and find that it doesn't work. And in a month it's already solved," says Oberholzer. Experience is becoming obsolete faster than ever before. This requires an agility that challenges both individuals and organizations: Further training is no longer a task for the employer or the individual alone, but a shared responsibility. This requires dialog - with food for thought, scenarios and concrete guidance for employees and companies alike.

The podcast episode on Spotify

The video podcast «AI and Society—Paths to a New World,» hosted by Christoph Soltmannowski, is produced by the Text Akademie Foundation. Two episodes are released each month on Spotify, YouTube and the other major podcast platforms.