Working hours Swiss employees worked slightly more in 2023 than in the previous year
Employees in Switzerland worked slightly more in 2023 than in the previous year. The average weekly working hours per job increased by 0.2 percent.
23.07.2024, 10:20
SDA
In the longer term, however, things look different: Between 2018 and 2023, the weekly working hours per full-time employee decreased significantly, according to a report published on Tuesday by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). In 2023, employees worked an average of 46 minutes less than in 2018. The average working week in 2023 was still 40 hours and 12 minutes.
The FSO attributes this decline to the decrease in contractually agreed weekly working hours by 9 minutes to 41 hours and 43 minutes. In addition, weekly overtime decreased by an average of 15 minutes to 40 minutes. On the other hand, the average absence time increased by 22 minutes to 2 hours and 11 minutes.
Absences are decreasing
According to the FSO, illnesses and accidents account for almost two thirds of the annual absence volume. Compared to the previous year, absences fell significantly in 2023. While employees were still absent from work for an average of 9.3 days in 2022, the figure was 7.6 days last year.
The lowest absence rate was recorded in the information and communication sector at 5.9 days per full-time job. Employees in the banking and insurance industry and in the arts, entertainment, private households and other services sector were absent for an average of 6.0 days.
Absences were longest in agriculture and forestry at 11.6 days and in real estate and other business services at 9.4 days.
Increasing vacation days
While employees had to work less on average in a five-year comparison (2018-2923), they also received more vacation days. The number of vacation weeks increased by 0.3 days to 5.2 weeks per year over the same period.
According to the press release, employees aged between 20 and 49 had slightly less vacation (5.0 weeks) than younger and older employees. In 2023, they enjoyed an average of 5.5 weeks' vacation (15 to 19-year-olds) and 5.6 weeks' vacation (50 to 64-year-olds).
High working hours in comparison
In an international comparison, Swiss employees are quite hard-working. If you exclude people who are absent from work for an entire week, as is the case abroad, Switzerland has an average full-time working week of 42 hours and 33 minutes. This is the highest figure among all EU/EFTA countries, according to the press release.
The shortest working hours according to this calculation method in 2023 were in Finland with 36 minutes and 29 minutes, followed by Belgium with 36 hours and 32 minutes. On average, EU citizens had to work 38 hours and 5 minutes per week.
However, if part-time workers are also included, Switzerland, with an average working week of 35 hours and 30 minutes, is one of the countries with the lowest weekly working hours. However, this is due to the fact that so many people in Switzerland are employed part-time. Using this calculation method, Greece has the longest working week at 39 hours and 48 minutes, while the Netherlands has the shortest at 30 hours and 33 minutes, with an average of 35 hours and 42 minutes.
