> I see that the mismatch between what companies say they want, what they actually want, what they actually need is becoming bigger and bigger and I honestly have no clue how to solve this.
In the end, how do they manage to hire anyone?
The Zürich (and Swiss) job market isn't that big, but that goes both ways, the available talent pool is also fairly small, and turnover is lower than in big tech hubs.
Sure you have access to workers from all the EEA, but while salaries are high for young singles/DINK, things change when you want to hire experienced developers (I remember you're from Germany, I know people who moved from Switzerland to Germany since it made more sense financially!)
I think, having kids in Switzerland is only expensive if they are 2-3 years old because "Kindergrippe" is not public like in Germany. Kindergarten and up is public and free.
It's true there are not many embedded jobs, but I know at least 1-2 companies (e.g., bbv.ch), contact me if you want more information (my e-mail is in my HN-profile).
Big difference in parental leave also. It's true that the costs are reasonable once your kids go to school, and university is pretty affordable too.
As for embedded systems, that's not my field, but the one where my friend works. After being laid off in Switzerland, he spent a few months looking for a job (in the whole country), gave up and started to interview in the Munich area where he could pick between several offers, all upwards of 90k/year. Plenty enough to maintain his lifestyle.
In the end, how do they manage to hire anyone?
The Zürich (and Swiss) job market isn't that big, but that goes both ways, the available talent pool is also fairly small, and turnover is lower than in big tech hubs.
Sure you have access to workers from all the EEA, but while salaries are high for young singles/DINK, things change when you want to hire experienced developers (I remember you're from Germany, I know people who moved from Switzerland to Germany since it made more sense financially!)