Unemployment insurance in Switzerland
Unemployment insurance (Arbeitslosenversicherung, ALV) is compulsory for employees and is the same in every canton. You and your employer each pay half of a 2.2% contribution on salary up to CHF 148,200 a year (2026). Self-employed people are not insured. The regional employment centre (RAV) supports and checks your job search; an unemployment fund (Arbeitslosenkasse) of your choice pays the benefit.
Who can claim
- Contributions: at least 12 months of contributions within the 2 years before you register. Some people are exempt, for example after more than 12 months of illness; they receive a lower flat-rate benefit.
- Residence: you must live in Switzerland. Foreign nationals need a valid B or C permit. Cross-border workers (G permit) normally claim in their country of residence.
- Availability: you must be willing and able to take suitable work, attend the RAV meetings and prove your job applications every month.
- EU/EFTA nationals can count contribution periods from EU/EFTA countries if they last worked in Switzerland.
Amount and duration (2026)
- Daily allowance (Taggeld): 70% of your insured salary, or 80% if you support children under 25, if your insured salary is no more than CHF 3,797 a month, or if you receive a disability pension of at least 40%. The insured salary is your average salary over the last 6 or 12 months, whichever is higher. You receive 5 allowances a week.
- Waiting days: usually 5 days before the first payment. There are none if your yearly insured income is up to CHF 36,000 (CHF 60,000 if you support children); without children it rises to 10 to 20 days above CHF 60,000.
- Duration: within a 2-year benefit period, 200 daily allowances for people under 25 without children. From age 25, or if you support children, you get 260 with 12 to 17 months of contributions and 400 with 18 to 24 months; people aged 55 or over with at least 22 months get 520. If you become unemployed in the last 4 years before pension age, you get up to 120 more.
When the benefit ends
Once your entitlement is used up, municipal social assistance (Sozialhilfe) is the last safety net. In Zurich the municipalities run it and must apply the national SKOS guidelines; ask the social services (Soziale Dienste) of your municipality. People who lose their entitlement in or after the month they turn 60 may qualify for bridging benefits (Überbrückungsleistungen) until pension age, if they meet the insurance and income conditions.
Common pitfalls for newcomers
- Register with the RAV no later than your first day without work, online or in person. You can and should register during your notice period. Days before you register are not paid.
- Keep proof of your applications from the notice period onwards. If you resign without a new job, or caused your dismissal, benefits can be suspended for 1 to 60 days.
- Renew an expiring B permit in time. Social assistance can lead the canton to withdraw or not renew a residence permit, and in Zurich you can only be naturalised if you have received none in the last 3 years or have repaid it in full.
Official guidance: ch.ch: unemployment insurance, SECO: unemployment guide for insured persons 2026 (PDF), AHV/IV: unemployment insurance contributions (leaflet 2.08), Canton of Zurich: social assistance, SEM: residence and social assistance FAQ