Jura
Newest canton (1979) with 44% industrial employment in watchmaking, now diversifying
Jura emerged as Switzerland's newest canton in 1979 after French-speaking Catholics separated from German-speaking Protestant Bern—a political speciation event driven by linguistic and religious differentiation. The watchmaking industry defines the economy: 44% of jobs in the secondary sector (highest of any canton), with Swatch, Richemont, LVMH, and Festina operating production sites. The 2024 export downturn (-7% in June) triggered 40 companies to apply for short-time work, but the Switzerland Innovation Park Basel Area is helping diversify into medtech. The canton demonstrates both the fragility of monoculture economies and adaptive capacity through technological pivot.