Author: SECO (State Secretariat for Economic Affairs)
Source: SECO Press Release
Publication Date: November 6, 2025
Summary Reading Time: 3 minutes

Executive Summary

Swiss unemployment insurance is facing the largest IT system change in its history: The new payment system ASAL 2.0 will be implemented over the 2025/26 year-end transition and requires a two-week complete operational shutdown of all ALV IT systems. This critical transformation phase directly affects all job seekers and employers in Switzerland, with the operational impacts on unemployment benefit payments and the continuity of job placement services not yet fully foreseeable. Companies must prepare for potential delays in ALV processes and prepare their HR departments accordingly.

Critical Key Questions

► What risks arise from the two-week total outage for vulnerable groups of unemployed people who depend on timely payments?

► How robust is SECO's fallback strategy if the migration fails or critical errors occur after go-live?

► What long-term efficiency gains justify this massive disruption, and were alternative migration strategies without complete shutdown evaluated?

Scenario Analysis: Future Perspectives

Short-term (2026):

Potential payment delays in Q1 2026 with corresponding liquidity bottlenecks for those affected
Increased support workload for RAV and unemployment insurance funds during the transition phase
Possible data migration errors requiring subsequent corrections

Medium-term (2030):

Digitalization boost in job placement through modern IT infrastructure
Integration of AI-supported matching procedures between job seekers and open positions
Fully automated payment processes with real-time processing

Long-term (2035-2045):

Merger with European labor market systems and cross-border data exchange
Blockchain-based verification of unemployment benefit claims
Predictive analytics for prevention of long-term unemployment

Main Summary

Core Topic & Context

SECO is introducing ASAL 2.0, a completely new IT system for processing and paying out unemployment insurance benefits. The system change represents the final and most comprehensive step of a multi-year modernization strategy and occurs at a critical time over the year-end transition.

Key Facts & Figures

Period: Year-end transition 2025/26
Duration of operational shutdown: approx. 14 days
Affected service: Unemployment compensation (core benefit of ALV)
System designation: ASAL 2.0 (successor to the legacy system)
Status: Job seekers and employers already informed
[⚠️ To be verified]: Number of affected benefit recipients not specified

Stakeholders & Affected Parties

Primary: All current and potential recipients of unemployment compensation
Secondary: Employers (reporting obligations, short-time work compensation)
Operational: RAV advisors, unemployment insurance funds, cantonal employment offices
Indirect: HR departments, social services, temporary employment agencies

Opportunities & Risks

Opportunities:

More modern and efficient benefit processing after successful migration
Improved data quality and process automation
Foundation for future digitalization initiatives

Risks:

Liquidity bottlenecks for benefit recipients during the transition
Potential data loss or migration errors
Reputational damage in case of technical problems
Increased cyber risks during the vulnerable migration phase

Action Relevance

For Companies:

HR departments should create emergency plans for ALV-relevant processes
Adjust communication to employees in notice periods
Plan buffers for short-time work compensation over the year-end transition

Source Directory

Primary Source:

[SECO Press Release ASALfutur] - [Link not available]

Supplementary Sources:

[Further research required for current updates]
[Official SECO website on ASAL 2.0]
[Parliamentary inquiries regarding system change]

Verification Status: ⚠️ Limited information base - further details on risk mitigation and emergency planning pending | Date: 11/06/2025