Benefits rules set to change for Switzerland's cross-border workers

Switzerland and the European Union held discussions on Thursday regarding the practical implementation of the free movement of persons agreement.

Among the topics discussed was how a change in the responsibilities concerning unemployed cross-border workers could result in additional costs amounting to hundreds of millions of francs. 

That's because under the reform approved by the European Parliament in July, responsibility for paying unemployment benefits to cross-border workers will no longer lie with their state of residence, but rather with the state where they last held employment.

So anyone living in France but having last worked in Switzerland would claim their unemployment benefit from Swiss authorities and not from the French as they do currently.

According to federal government data, there were 413,320 cross-border workers in Switzerland in the first quarter of 2026.

Estimates from the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) suggest that this change could result in additional costs to Switzerland ranging from 500 to 800 million francs per year.

However Switzerland's National Council is calling on the Federal Council to reject the amendment.