All persons engaged in gainful activity in Switzerland who have not yet reached
retirement age are required to have unemployment insurance. Unemployment
insurance contributions are payable half by employees and half by employers. To
qualify for unemployment benefit, an insured person must satisfy the following
conditions: engagement in an activity liable to payment of contributions for not
less than 12 months in the two years immediately preceding unemployment, being
available to the employment office for placement while continuing to seek work
and, lastly, willingness and ability to accept a job.
If you left your previous employment without valid reason, you may lose your
entitlement to benefit for a certain period. The same applies to persons who do
not actively seek work or refuse a job assigned to them by the employment
office.
Unemployment benefit amounts to 70% of average pay liable to contributions
received in the last six months. Insured persons with children to support or
whose unemployment benefit is below a specified minimum level receive 80% of
their last pay liable to contributions. Unemployment benefit is paid as a daily
allowance for five days per week.
Entitlement begins after a waiting period of five days of verified
unemployment and continues for two years from registration as unemployed and
signing on at the employment office. During this period you are entitled to not
more than 400 daily allowances if you are under the age of 55 or to 520 daily
allowances if 55 or over and have paid contributions for not less than 18
months. Unemployed persons in groups recognised as difficult to place for labour
market reasons may, subject to the consent of the employment office, take part
in advanced training or reinsertion measures paid for by the unemployment
insurance scheme while continuing to receive daily allowances.
Those wishing to claim unemployment benefit should report to their local
employment office not later than on their first day of unemployment. Thereafter
they must attend the competent regional placement office (URC) usually twice a
month for advisory and verification interviews. Unemployment benefit is paid by
the unemployment fund chosen on registration with the employment office. You
will receive detailed information when you register. For more information, see
Related Topics opposite.
Text last edited on: 11/2007
Source: European Union
© European Communities, 1995-2008
Reproduction is authorised.
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