Despite the rise of part-time work, Switzerland is still working more

Each year, the total number of hours worked in Switzerland by residents increases. In 2024, the figure will reach 8.117 billion hours. This is only 0.1% more than in 2023. "This slight increase is due to the increase in the number of jobs (+0.8%), almost entirely offset by a decrease in actual working hours per job (–0.7%)," the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) noted on Thursday.

In other words, with the growing population, more and more people are working, but on average, they are each working for shorter hours, resulting in a near-zero-sum result. The rise of part-time work largely explains this average decrease in average working hours per job. But that's not all. In 2024, the OFS notes a fairly sharp increase in absences for health reasons. Between 2023 and 2024 alone, "the average annual number of days of absence due to health increased from 7.6 to 8.5 days per job," notes the OFS.

And what about vacation time? Companies are becoming increasingly generous to attract employees. Each year, the average number of vacation days increases, with an average of 5.2 weeks per year in 2024 (0.3 days more than in 2023).

This development is worrying some in the political class, who see it as a failure to exploit Switzerland's labor potential. "Voluntary part-time work leads to tax losses and a reduction in social security revenues financed by contributions," National Councilor Nicolò Paganini (C/SG) noted in Parliament.

Last year, he presented a postulate tasking the Federal Council with analyzing the consequences of part-time work and what measures could be taken to "promote a higher employment rate among people who do not have care or support duties within their families." It was widely accepted, with only the left opposing it.