Switzerland / The gender pay gap continues to narrow in Switzerland

The gender pay gap in Switzerland “has continued to narrow gradually,” the FSO announced on Monday. The disparities vary widely by industry.

Despite a slight decline, women still earned an average of 15.7 percent less than men in Switzerland in 2024. Part of this gap cannot be explained by structural factors such as educational attainment or position in the hierarchy. The labor union Travail.Suisse is calling on the authorities to take action.

Across the economy as a whole, the gender pay gap “continued to narrow gradually,” the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) reported on Monday. It stood at 15.7% in 2024, down from 16.5% two years earlier and 19% in 2018.

This downward trend is evident in both the private and public sectors. The disparities are more pronounced in the private sector (17.2%) than in the public sector (12.8%).

They vary widely by industry, ranging from 7.9% in the hotel and restaurant sector to about 17% in retail trade and the machinery industry, and up to 30.6% in financial and insurance activities.

Unexplained difference of 640 francs

Some of these disparities can be explained by structural differences such as educational attainment, years of service, or hierarchical position. These factors “illustrate the different ways in which women and men are integrated” into the labor market, according to the FSO.

However, another portion cannot be explained by structural factors. It stood at 6.5% in 2024, which corresponds to an average of 640 francs gross per month. This gap varies by economic sector and company size. It remains particularly pronounced in small businesses.

The unexplained wage gap increases with hierarchical position. It reaches 12.4% among senior executives, compared with 6.1% for employees without managerial roles.

Education, Age, and Marital Status

The unexplained portion of the wage gap is also higher among women who have completed vocational training than among those holding a degree from a university of applied sciences or a university of teacher education.

Age and marital status also play a role. The FSO study shows that the unexplained wage gap is wider among older women and married women.

The Federal Statistical Office notes that, “while characteristics such as marital status or family situation can provide additional insight into describing and measuring existing gender pay gaps, they must not be used to justify gender-based pay gaps,” in accordance with the Federal Act on Gender Equality.

Call to Action

In a press release, the labor union Travail.Suisse hails “a pleasant surprise”: the overall wage gap is narrowing, and the unexplained portion of the wage gap is declining, after having “increased steadily for nearly ten years.”

“The situation remains unacceptable,” it states, however. Wage discrimination accounts for nearly half (46.9%) of the measured wage differences, and “women still lose an average of 640 francs per month solely because of their gender.”

“This is far from negligible over the course of a working life, and this reality demands a response from lawmakers,” adds the union. Travail.Suisse also calls on Parliament to enshrine in the Federal Equality Act the requirement for large companies to conduct a gender-based wage analysis. This measure is currently limited to 2032.

Source: lenouveliste