How much is unemployment benefit in Switzerland?
Updated:
In short
80 percent of your insured earnings if you support children under 25, your insured earnings are at most CHF 3,797 a month, or you draw a disability pension of 40 percent or more — otherwise 70 percent (Art. 22 AVIG). Insured earnings are the average of your last six or twelve monthly salaries, whichever is better for you.
This answer can contain errors and is not official advice. What your RAV or unemployment fund says is binding.
Budget for two dampeners: unpaid waiting days before the first payment (5 to 20, depending on earnings and children, Art. 18 AVIG), and duration tied to your contribution months — 260 daily allowances from 12 months, 400 from 18, 520 from 22 months plus age 55+ (Art. 27 AVIG).
- 80%: with children under 25, low earnings, or a 40%+ disability pension.
- 70%: everyone else.
- Waiting days: 5–20 unpaid days before the first payment.
- Duration: 260/400/520 daily allowances by contribution time.
- Requirement: 12 contribution months within the last 2 years (Art. 13 AVIG).
70 or 80 per cent — what decides it
Art. 22 AVIG gives three routes to 80 per cent: maintenance obligations towards children under 25, an insured earning of at most CHF 3,797, or a disability pension of 40 per cent or more. If none applies, it is 70 per cent.
This is arithmetic, not your adviser's judgement. If you are unsure which case you fall into, ask the unemployment fund to confirm it in writing.
Insured earnings are not your last salary
What counts is the average of your last six or twelve monthly salaries — whichever is more favourable to you. If you earned less recently than the year before, the twelve-month version works in your favour.
So keep twelve months of payslips to hand, not just the most recent one. The fund calculates with what it is shown.
Waiting days come before the first payment
Art. 18 AVIG places five to twenty unpaid waiting days before the first daily allowance, graduated by earnings and children. This is the part that surprises most budgets.
Plan for the gap. The first money arrives later than registering suggests.
How long it is paid
Duration follows contribution months: 260 daily allowances from 12 months of contributions, 400 from 18, and 520 from 22 months combined with age 55+ (Art. 27 AVIG).
Entitlement at all requires 12 contribution months in the last two years (Art. 13 AVIG). If you are close to that threshold, clarify it early rather than at registration.
All figures directly from AVIG Art. 13, 18, 22 and 27 (as of August 2026).
Sources
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