这项提案对高度依赖国际人才的企业冲击尤其大。罗氏（Roche）在巴塞尔雇用来自100多个国家的员工，Google在苏黎世雇用来自85国、超过5000人；Novartis与Nestlé也警告，外国专业人才是维持创新与生产力的关键。若进一步限制高薪银行家、科学家与工程师入境，还可能威胁瑞士与欧盟的自由流动协议，而该协议支撑著瑞士企业进入21兆美元、4.5亿消费者的市场。
经济风险评估显示，这不只是劳动力缩减而已。Demografik智库估计，到本世纪末，人口上限可能让产出最多减少12%，医疗、餐旅、IT与建筑业会特别缺工；政府经济机构也指出，瑞士企业「高度依赖」外来劳工。尽管如此，民调显示选民意见接近五五波，因为高房租、拥挤列车与住房压力让当前不满情绪盖过了长期代价。
Switzerland will vote on June 14 on a proposal to cap population growth at 10 million by 2050. With the population already above 9.1 million, net migration would need to fall to about 30,000 a year, more than half below the past decade’s average, and the government could begin restrictions once the population reaches 9.5 million, possibly within four years.
The plan would hit firms that rely on foreign labor, including Roche, Google, Novartis and Nestlé. Roche’s Basel headquarters employs people from more than 100 countries, while Google in Zurich has more than 5,000 workers from 85 countries. Business leaders warn that limiting bankers, scientists and engineers would weaken innovation and could even force Switzerland to reconsider free-movement accords with the EU, which supports access to a $21 trillion market and 450 million consumers.
Economic estimates suggest the consequences could be substantial but gradual. Demografik says output could be reduced by as much as 12% by the end of the century, with healthcare, hospitality, IT and construction especially exposed to labor shortages. Yet polling is split, because many voters focus on immediate pressures such as housing shortages, high rents and crowded trains rather than long-term macroeconomic costs.