Employment in Switzerland's manufacturing industry is still suffering from the effects of the recession, according to a new report.

Credit Suisse has published the European country's purchasing managers' index (PMI), which rose to a seasonally adjusted 56 percentage points in January - significantly more than the 50 point that constitutes growth.

This is the five successive month that the index has risen - although the employment sub-index failed to surpass the 50 mark.

The PMI's employment component grew nevertheless last month, though the weakness of Switzerland's labor market prevented any substantial increase.

Janwillem Acket, analyst at Julius Baer, told Reuters: "It's confirming the previous month, a robust story."

Switzerland's unemployment rate reached 4.4 per cent in December, which is the highest figure recorded in more than 12 years.

However, things should begin to improve in 2010 as the Swiss economy is expected to record growth of between 0.5 per cent and one per cent this year.