Knowledge Over 55s attach greater importance to work than young people

The importance of work increases among Swiss employees as they get older. As a survey published on Wednesday shows, 56 to 65-year-olds attach greater importance to gainful employment than younger people.

Leisure time, on the other hand, is more important in younger age groups (16 to 35 years) than in age groups between 35 and 65 years, according to the HR Barometer 2024. However, the University of Lucerne and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH Zurich) reported on Wednesday that work is generally very important in the lives of employees in Switzerland. Only three percent of the more than 2,000 people surveyed for the HR Barometer stated that work is somewhat or completely unimportant in their lives.

Almost three quarters (71 percent) of those surveyed said that they were absorbed in their work and therefore felt that they were able to develop further and were full of energy and vitality at work.

More boredom than 10 years ago

However, just over half (51%) reported that they feel at least partially alienated from their work. In 2024, almost a quarter of employees were also bored at work at least sometimes. In a survey ten years ago, this figure was only 12 percent.

The majority of work attitudes have remained relatively stable since measurements began in 2006, apart from minor deviations, the universities also reported. The work organization is rated positively overall.