The international labour market of Zug

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The companies of Zug recruit on an international labour market. Commodity traders look for traders, analysts, risk managers and operators with experience in the markets of their products. They find them in London, Geneva, Singapore, Houston and Dubai. Holding companies need finance, tax and legal specialists with international experience. Pharmaceutical and technology companies need scientists, engineers and managers. Crypto companies need developers and specialists in cryptography, regulation and compliance. The domestic labour market of a canton with some 135,000 inhabitants cannot supply these people in sufficient numbers, which makes the companies dependent on immigration.

English is the precondition of this recruitment. A company that required its employees to speak German would restrict its pool of candidates to a small fraction of the international market. The English-speaking environment of Zug allows companies to recruit anywhere and to integrate new employees quickly. The employees, in turn, can move to Zug without first learning a new language, which lowers the costs of mobility. The canton's attractiveness as a business location therefore depends directly on the continued availability of an English-speaking professional environment.

For general information only. This article does not constitute legal or tax advice, does not replace advice on an individual case and creates no lawyer-client relationship. It reflects the legal position as of September 2025.

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Dr Alexander Ressos, TEP

Rechtsanwalt/Attorney-at-Law

I am a Swiss attorney-at-law and also admitted as a solicitor in Hong Kong and in England & Wales, with almost 25 years of experience.

Together with my multilingual team, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Ukrainian and French native speakers, I advise companies and their owners from around the world on the full range of banking, corporate, commercial and tax law matters in Switzerland, including international tax planning, fiduciary services, and legal family office services including immigration & relocation or real estate investments. My practice has a particular focus on clients from growth and frontier markets in Greater China, Central Asia and the Caucasus, the rest of Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, and I equally advise clients from Europe and North America. Through an affiliated Swiss trust company, we also take care of the incorporation and ongoing administration of their companies and other structures, including accounting, tax returns and corporate secretarial services, and I serve as a professional director where required. With the support of a network of first-class cooperation partners, I also implement solutions worldwide.

My approach is to act as a trusted advisor who works directly with decision-makers, on an equal footing: I start from what you want to achieve and shape every structure, contract and tax decision around your commercial goals and how it improves your after-tax return. As “lawyers who make it happen”, my team and I stay involved until your company is set up, your structure is in place and your transaction has closed, and we remain available for any follow-on work that may be required. You benefit from bespoke solutions and personal attention, and sound, friendly and practical advice. We are not the lowest-cost provider in the market, nor do we intend to be; our aim is to deliver well-founded, proper solutions and excellent value for money.

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