Employment in St. Gallen

Local Economy

The unemployment rate in St. Gallen is just under 5%. One of the major companies headquartered in St. Gallen is Helvetica Insurance, and they along with universities and tourist accommodation are among the bigger employers.

As an English speaking expat, you may find the hospitality sector is perfect for you as the hotels are always looking for English speaking staff. As the work offerings in St. Gallen itself are limited, many may find that they want to commute to Zurich each day via the A1 where jobs are more plentiful.

Expats looking for work in Zurich often find jobs in the financial sector as it’s one of the great financial centers of the world. So if you’ve got a background in banking or finance, St. Gallen and Zurich might just be the perfect combination for you.

Job Hunting in St. Gallen

Some great places to search for jobs on the internet are Hotel Career, Job Scout 24, Indeed, Jobs and Ost Job. Speaking Swiss German is an advantage when hunting for a job in Switzerland, but not necessarily essential. When preparing for interviews, bear in mind that the working culture in Zurich, St. Gallen and the rest of Switzerland is quite formal. It’s very much performance based, and people have little patience for those who aren’t professional. Inappropriate humor will not go well in formal situations, so keep the job interview jokes at home and dress up smart!

Income Taxation in St. Gallen

As an expat, money is taken from your salary on a monthly basis in St. Gallen. Throughout Switzerland, how much tax you pay depends upon which canton you reside in. As income tax can be subject to change, here is a helpful website where you can calculate what you might expect to pay.

Work Permits for Switzerland

In order to work in St. Gallen, you obviously also need to make sure all your paperwork is in order. In our dedicated article on Working in Switzerland, you can find out more about work permits for both EU/EFTA citizens as well as non-EU nationals.