When do I start to receive unemployment compensation?
Entitlement to unemployment compensation normally begins after a generally applicable waiting period:
| Insured earnings | Generally applicable waiting days | |
| without maintenance obligation | with maintenance obligation | |
| Under Fr. 3,000 | 0 | 0 |
| Fr. 3,001 - 5,000 | 5 | 5 |
| Fr. 5,001 - 7,500 | 10 | 5 |
| Fr. 7,501 - 10,416 | 15 | 5 |
| Over Fr. 10,417 | 20 | 5 |
Only days on which all conditions for entitlement are fulfilled count as waiting days.
After seasonal employment or after an activity in a profession in which frequently changing or limited periods of employment are normal the waiting period is one day.
If you are exempt from the contribution period for one of the above reasons, you will have to accept a special waiting period at the beginning of unemployment.
Number of special waiting days with exemption from contributions
For persons who are exempt from the contribution period because they have undergone training, retraining or further training (but not persons who have served vocational apprenticeships), the number of special waiting days is 120: they have paid ALV contributions and are therefore treated in the same way as persons who have completed their contribution period.)
For other persons exempt from contributions (after illness, accident, confinement to an institution, after separation or divorce, on account of disability or the death of the spouse or for similar reasons) there are 5 special waiting days.