Silent revolution Older Swiss are working less and less - now employers are sounding the alarm
In Switzerland, a large proportion of people over 50 work part-time on a voluntary basis. While employers see untapped potential in this, trade unions speak of a necessary relief. Too few young people are joining them.
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- In Switzerland, around 40 percent of the working population work part-time, particularly among the over 50s.
- The association believes that this represents an untapped potential of up to 86,000 full-time jobs.
- Trade unions disagree and emphasize that increasing stress and workloads are forcing many to cut back.
Part-time work is widespread in Switzerland: Around 40 percent of the working population work a workload of less than 90 percent. While this is often due to training, further education, childcare or other commitments for younger employees, the pattern is different for older employees.
Part-time work is particularly common among the over 50s - and often voluntary. According to an analysis by the Swiss Employers' Association, many have no interest in increasing their workload back to full-time, reports SRF. "It's worth taking a closer look," says chief economist Patrick Chuard-Keller to SRF with regard to this development.
Advantage of the part-time model?
The association sees considerable untapped potential for the labor market. The analysis mentions around 86,000 full-time positions that would theoretically be possible. "These people are already in the labor market and could probably increase their workload relatively easily on their own," says Chuard-Keller.
The Swiss Federation of Trade Unions clearly disagrees with this view. It criticizes the term "lifestyle part-time" and emphasizes that many employees do not reduce their workload of their own free will, but because of increasing stress at work. The figures actually show a clear trend: in 2012, 18% said they were often or always stressed - now the figure is 23%.
"There are simply not enough young people coming up"
For trade unionist Daniel Kopp, part-time work is therefore often a protective measure. "It's an appropriate need and often also a necessity to protect health," he says. Especially in view of the increasing workload, there is hardly any other way for many people to stay in their jobs in the long term.
Opinions differ on how to deal with the labor shortage. The employers' association points to demographic changes: "There are so many more older people in the labor market due to demographics, there are simply not enough young people coming in," says Chuard-Keller. At the same time, he sees government disincentives - for example through tax progression: "Tax progression is of course a problem, especially if we tax according to ability to pay."
The trade unions, on the other hand, focus on the companies. "Employers must provide good conditions so that people voluntarily work as long as possible," says Kopp. This includes sufficient staff, less pressure and clear rest periods. Both sides at least agree on one point: limiting population growth, as is being called for politically, will not solve the problem of labor shortages.
