Unemployment insurance
Unemployment insurance provides benefits in the case of loss of employment, shortened working hours, lack of employment due to weather conditions and insolvency on the part of the employer. This insurance also pays for re-integration measures.
All persons in gainful employment are obliged to contribute to the unemployment insurance scheme with the exception of some family members of persons working in the agricultural sector and persons who have reached retirement age. The self-employed are not covered by unemployment insurance.
Transition Benefits
Transition benefits safeguard the livelihood of people who lose their job shortly before they reach retirement age. These benefits are means-tested and calculated in the same way as OASI and IV supplementary benefits. They are financed from the general resources of the Confederation. The cantons are responsible for disbursing these benefits and covering their enforcement costs.
Information for insured persons
The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (seco) handles all unemployment insurance (ALV) matters. For more information on the ALV, please consult the seco website: