Labor market in Liechtenstein

Liechtenstein's labor market is shaped by its small population, strong industrial and financial sectors and close links with Switzerland, Austria and Germany. The country recorded 43,330 employed people on 31 December 2025, provisionally 0.3% fewer than in 2024. It had 46,364 jobs and 5,582 companies. The statistics distinguish people counted by their workplace from people counted by their place of residence. Cross-border commuters, called Zupendelnde, work in Liechtenstein while living abroad; they made up 57.4% of employees, or 24,943 people. Among them, 61.2% came from Switzerland, 34.6% from Austria, 2.7% from Germany and 1.6% from other countries. People who live in Liechtenstein and work abroad are called Wegpendelnde. Services accounted for 66.0% of employment in 2024, industry for 33.4% and agriculture for 0.6%. Over the previous ten years, service employment grew by about 2.6% per year, industry by 0.2% and agriculture declined by 0.2% per year. Manufacturing employed 11,208 people, financial and insurance services 5,084 and construction 2,850. Around two fifths of workplaces were located in Vaduz and Schaan. Employment grew faster in the Unterland than in the Oberland over ten years, at 2.6% compared with 1.6% per year. Industry depended particularly strongly on cross-border commuters, who filled 68.0% of full-time-equivalent positions in that sector. The 2024 median gross monthly wage was CHF 7,401, including one twelfth of the 13th monthly salary and allowances. The median was CHF 6,864 for women and CHF 7,824 for men, a difference of 12.3%. Employees living in Liechtenstein had a median of CHF 7,253, while cross-border commuters had CHF 7,514. Median wages were higher in financial and insurance services at CHF 10,209, education at CHF 9,179 and legal, tax and auditing services at CHF 9,145. Agriculture and forestry had a median of CHF 3,595 and hospitality CHF 4,926. These figures are sector medians, not guaranteed salaries for individual jobs. The Amt für Volkswirtschaft, or AVW, is the public authority responsible for economic and labor-market matters. Its Arbeitsmarkt Service Liechtenstein, abbreviated AMS FL, provides public employment services. Jobseekers can receive advice, information, qualification support, financial assistance and job placement. Companies can use free preselection, advice, a candidate pool and vacancy reporting. EURES supports employment mobility between Liechtenstein, Switzerland and the European Economic Area, the EWR. Private recruitment and temporary-work agencies require authorization under the relevant employment-placement law. Qualifications influence access to many jobs. The Amt für Berufsbildung und Berufsberatung, or ABB, handles vocational education and career guidance. Formal vocational training can last two years for an assistant qualification or three to four years for a skilled occupation. Training combines a company, vocational school and inter-company courses. The training contract must be concluded before training starts and approved by the ABB. Adults may complete a qualification procedure without a training contract after five years of professional experience, validate existing learning, or take shortened or regular vocational training. Higher professional education may receive public funding. Recognition requirements depend on the occupation. Regulated professions require the legally prescribed qualification evidence and recognition by the responsible authority. Examples include pharmacy, mountain guiding, real-estate brokerage, nursing and physiotherapy. Recognition alone does not automatically authorize professional practice because personal suitability and German-language skills may also be required. For non-regulated work, the employer and the labor market usually assess qualifications directly, so no general local recognition is required. Access also depends on nationality, residence and the intended work arrangement. The Ausländer- und Passamt, or APA, handles residence and work-related immigration matters. EWR and Swiss cross-border workers who return home daily must report their employment no later than ten days after starting work. Cross-border workers from third countries generally need to apply at least fourteen days before starting and may begin only after authorization. A B residence permit applies to people living in Liechtenstein for more than twelve months. Decisions take about four weeks for EWR and Swiss nationals and about three months for other nationals. Third-country access is generally limited to executives, specialists and other qualified workers with completed vocational training or extensive professional experience. Taking up work before the required authorization is not permitted, and employers must check authorization and comply with locally customary, labor-market-compliant conditions. A B permit application costs CHF 1,060 when approved and CHF 80 when refused; an CHF 80 advance payment applies during the procedure. A BIB permit allows people without residence in Liechtenstein to work for up to 180 days within twelve months when employment reaches at least 50%. The labor market first recorded a decline in employment since 2020 in 2025. A second-quarter 2026 business survey reported labor shortages especially in services, affecting 38% of respondents and 55% of general service businesses, while service-sector staffing was expected to grow. The overall outlook remained mixed rather than uniform across sectors.