Establishments in financial services (1995–2008)

This branch is particularly important for Switzerland's international competitive position. Banks (including finance companies) and insurance companies together employed some 252,005 people in 2012. Geographically, there is a marked concentration of jobs in the main centres of the country: Zurich, Basel, Berne, Lausanne and Geneva, not to mention Lugano, which also plays a major role as a financial centre. For its part, Zurich and Winterthur are the main centres for insurance.