Work culture in Basel
Home of Erasmus and Art Basel, Switzerland's third biggest city is a magnet for culture lovers – it has, after all, the highest concentration of museums in the country. What is more, its location close to the borders with both Germany and France, give the city an international, cosmopolitan character that's particularly attractive to expats.
Economy & labour market
Basel, which is also the canton of Basel's capital city, is Switzerland's third most densely populated region with more than 180,000 inhabitants. As such, the city is very conducive to expatriation ' in fact, 30% of its population are expats. Basel is located in the northwest of Switzerland, neighboured by both Germany and France, so the vibe of the city is multi-cultural and more tolerant than other Swiss cities.
The Basel area has the most dynamic economy in Switzerland and is one of the most productive and innovative in the world. With an unemployment rate that's been steadily under 4%, Basel provides jobs for around 300,000 people from Switzerland and abroad '
both temporary positions at the city's many festivals and events (Art Basel, Europe's greatest contemporary art fair being one of them), as well as permanent ones.
Basel's economy is based on several sectors such as chemical and pharmaceutical industries, biochemistry, financial services and insurance, logistics, trade and distribution, as well as information and communication technology, etc. In fact, Basel hosts Europe's most important chemical and pharmaceutical industry, hence the moniker, 'Bio Valley'. It also hosts international firms such as Roche, Novartis, Bayer and Syngenta.
Basel also hosts a dozen of banks, as well as many financial institutions and innovative companies, universities, and research institutes.
Job hunting
The labour market in Basel is very dynamic and liberal, thus attracting young professionals from across the globe. There are numerous different industries and companies located in Basel, constantly looking for new talent. Because this is a small but international city, networking is of vital importance and can certainly help to land you a job. You should also consider, if your age allows it, becoming a trainee ' as there are many companies in Basil accepting trainees/interns (consult our article about Internships in Switzerland).
In Basel, the more honed your particular skill set is, the easier it will be to find a job in one of the city's most competitive sectors: chemistry, pharmaceuticals, biochemistry, healthcare, precision technology, engineering, watches manufacturing, etc. Employment opportunities also exist in the fields of trade, logistics, financial services, information and communication technology, and creative arts such as architecture, fashion and design. You might even be hired in the educational field as the city hosts a university and several other educational institutes.
Good to know:
Basel's official language is Swiss German, so a good knowledge of the local dialect or even High German is not only advantageous but, in some cases, necessary. Although there are many multinational companies and banks who will simply require a perfect command of English or French, many of the local job-hunting tools and official websites are in German ' so it will help with your search to understand the language.
You can start your search by checking in classified ads in local newspapers and job websites. You can even go through a recruitment agency. You should also not hesitate in delivering your CV to smaller companies in person: as Basel is a small city, in-person communication and presenting yourself appropriately can go a long way.
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