What is EURES?

EURES (EURopean Employment Services) is an information exchange network operated by the public employment services in the European Union and the EFTA countries. Its aim is to facilitate the mobility of workers within the countries of the European Union (EU) and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). EURES was founded in 1993. Through its accession to the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons, Switzerland has been part of the EURES network since 1 June 2002. In Switzerland, the Labour Directorate at the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) is responsible, together with the Federal Office for Migration and the cantons, for coordinating the EURES network.

What are the aims of EURES?

  • EURES seeks to promote the mobility and equal access to the labour markets of the partner countries in Europe of all those workers wishing to cross borders.
  • EURES wishes to increase the interregional, cross-border and European exchange of job vacancies and job recruitment.
  • EURES aims to increase transparency and the exchange of information on the European labour markets. For this purpose, it provides the partner countries with basic information on living and working conditions in the various countries as well as on issues related to social security.