cmx,
I'm not sure I understand completely the last remark of your post... If my knowledge of applicable Swiss law serves me correctly, anyone who has worked more than 6 month on an unlimited contract is entitled to unemployment benefits... That this does not apply to a limited-term contract is self-evident, and the same everywhere, e.g. I had a 6-month contract in Bali, and that is how long my permit of stay was, which means I had no right to look for another job once this contract expired, and had to leave the country immediately. Can you tell me again just what your status was?? Tks