A special evaluation of the 2016 company survey shows that large companies rate Zurich as a location slightly better than the average of all companies surveyed. Individual location factors are evaluated slightly differently. Overall, however, the responses of the large companies give a similar picture to the average of all companies surveyed.

Large companies in the company survey

Companies with more than 250 employees are referred to as large. For the present evaluation, the information provided by the companies was used when asked about the number of their employees in the city of Zurich.

Of the 1210 companies that responded, the large companies make up a share of almost eight percent of all companies surveyed (n=91). Large companies can be found mainly in the construction and financial market sectors.    

Assessment of location factors

In the assessment of 15 predetermined location factors, large companies everywhere give slightly better marks than the average of all companies except for the assessment of the childcare offer.

On average, all companies award the best grades for universities, quality of life, health care and energy supply. In the case of large companies, on the other hand, the order of the first three places is somewhat different: the health care system is rated best, followed by universities and quality of life.

The importance of the various location factors is also assessed slightly differently by the large companies than by the average of all companies surveyed.

The most important thing for large companies is security, followed by customer potential, training opportunities and universities. In particular, security, training opportunities and universities are much more important for large companies than for the average of all companies. The housing supply, the energy supply and the childcare offer are also of greater importance for large companies.

Strengths and weaknesses

In response to the open question about the greatest strengths of Zurich as a business location, large companies mention the centre function in the first place and the quality of life and living in the second place. In third and fourth place for large companies – deviating from the average of all companies surveyed – are security and stability as well as internationality.

The biggest weakness of the city of Zurich as a location for large companies is – as for all companies surveyed – traffic. In second place, large companies cite the real estate situation and bureaucracy – the latter is significantly more important for these companies than for the average of all companies surveyed.  

Focus on transport

Like the average of all companies, large companies give very good marks for public transport. However, they are also dissatisfied with motorised private transport. The flight connections are not rated quite as well by the large companies as by the average, but the international rail connections are slightly better.

For 37 percent of all companies surveyed, the airport has a very large or fairly large importance. For large companies, this figure is significantly higher at 54 percent.

Focus on the labour market

The assessments regarding the availability and wage level of workers for the large companies are quite similar to the average of all companies surveyed. The wage level of auxiliary staff is rated slightly better by large companies, while the availability of skilled workers is slightly worse than the average.

Swiss franc strength

Large companies are significantly more affected by the strength of the Swiss franc than the average of all companies surveyed: Only 31 percent state that the strength of the Swiss franc has no effect (compared to 50 percent of all companies surveyed). The most common effect for large companies is a reduction in margin: Almost half of all large companies (45 percent) state that they are affected by it (the average of all companies is 30 percent).