(08.06.2022) People aged 55 to 64 in Switzerland are more active in the workforce than they were ten years ago. From 2011 to 2021, the Swiss Labour Force Survey (SLFS) showed a 5.9 point increase to 75.8% in the activity rate for this age group.
Between 2011 and 2021, the overall labor force activity rate of the Swiss population (15-64 years) increased by 1.6 percentage points to 83.7%. However, this is a decline from the rates seen in 2019 (84.3%) and 2020 (84.1%). For those aged 55-64, a slight year-on-year decrease was also observed (-0.7 percentage points compared to 2020).
With an activity rate of 87.5% for men versus 79.7% for women, the gender gap remains significant, although it has declined by 3.7 points since 2011. More than half of the women (57.5%) work in part-time positions, which is nearly four times higher than for men (15.5%).
The percentage of part-time workers in the male labor force, however, increased by 3.8 percentage points between 2011 and 2021. Women are 28.7 percent more likely to work part-time to care for children and 19.9 percent for other family or personal obligations. Among men, most part-time employment is due to training (19.3 percent), with childcare cited in only 10.3 percent of cases.
Of those employed part-time, 9.6% engage in job sharing, where two people work in one position on a rotating basis. The sectors most affected by this practice are education and accommodation and catering.
Last modification 08.06.2022
