ASALfutur

The project plan envisaged a staggered rollout of the ASAL 2.0 system.

The productive partial introduction of ASAL 2.0 for the processing and payment of short-time working and bad-weather compensation was implemented on schedule in April 2023. Experience gained from operational use provides valuable feedback and findings, which are continuously taken into account to ensure the successful introduction of the overall system.

The second step of the introduction was successfully completed at the beginning of June 2024: the unemployment insurance offices will now be processing insolvency compensation cases entirely through ASAL 2.0. 

As more time is needed for the implementation of unemployment benefit payment and the international affairs area in ASAL 2.0, the overall planning has been adjusted. The verified new schedule was approved by the Supervisory Commission for the UI’s Compensation Fund on 21 August 2024.

Over the Christmas and New Year period 2025/2026, SECO implemented the last and most extensive step in the rollout of the new ASAL 2.0 system for the processing and payment of unemployment benefits. The step for the payment type ‘unemployment benefit’ required a two-week shutdown of all the UI’s IT systems from 19 December 2025 to 6 January 2026, which was announced in Q4 2025. This service interruption was concluded as scheduled. Jobseekers, private employment agencies, and the unemployment insurance enforcement offices can now use the various systems again.

According to the schedule, ASAL 2.0 will only be rolled out for the international affairs area after unemployment benefit payment has gone live.

The financial and organisational development of ASALfutur reflects the scope and complexity of this modernisaton project. Since the project launched in 2017, the originally approved budget of CHF 76 million has been adjusted several times to meet the extended requirements. Following various budget revisions, the current estimated cost according to the new planning approved in August 2024 amounts to CHF 201.4 million (the project is set to end on 30 June 2026). The Supervisory Commission for the Unemployment Insurance Compensation Fund approved a budget increase with a corresponding reserve in order to ensure the phased rollout and additional quality assurance and digitalisation measures.

More than 200 professionals are working in the project team directly, supported by many specialists from the unemployment insurance funds and the cantonal authorities, who are involved in carrying out tests, performing simulations and delivering training. Once the rollout is complete, some 1,800 employees from the unemployment insurance funds, 200 from the cantonal authorities and 120 from SECO-TC will work with ASAL 2.0 on a daily basis. Around 1,500 staff members from the RAVs will also benefit indirectly as their processes are closely linked to the funds.

The ASAL 2.0 system will be used to process unemployment benefits totalling around CHF 8 billion to CHF 10 billion every year.

By utilising integrated, digitalised and validated processes, the new ASAL 2.0 payment system aims to speed up processing of unemployment insurance, reduce administrative errors and improve legal compliance. To achieve these goals, extensive use is being made of the benefits of digitalisation. The focus is on the following aspects:

• Online services for insured persons: In future, insured persons will be able to make enquiries and consult their data and documents online. The system will allow automatic processing of most of the data uploaded to the portal by the job-seeker.
• Digitalisation of data management: when correspondence is received in the post, the data will be systematically digitalised and registered in the system using a text recognition tool with an advanced data analysis function.
• Integrated processing: in future, users will be guided through the ASAL system by harmonised processes, without redundancies or the need to switch to different systems. Both beneficiaries and third parties will be integrated into the process. In addition, the system will have strong software to detect abuse and ensure compliance.
• Digitalisation of data output: information and documents aimed at beneficiaries and third parties will also be available digitally. It will no longer be necessary for the insurance funds and regional employment centres to sign the documents produced, so they can be transmitted directly to users.

The support provided by the new system will, in the medium to long term, reduce the administrative workload of unemployment insurance funds. Interaction of the various functions of ASAL 2.0 will simplify their day-to-day work.