Struggles faced by working mothers in Switzerland

In Switzerland, the gender pay gap remains a pressing issue, despite legal measures enshrined since 1981 to promote equality between the sexes.

According to the latest report by the Federal Statistical Office, the gender pay gap for women working full time is 11 percent, compared to their male counterparts. This figure drops to 1.3 percent for women working under 50 percent of full-time hours and 1.2 percent for women aged 50 and over working part-time. However, for women in senior positions, the gap widens significantly, with women earning 14.7 percent less than men doing a similar job.

The report also highlights that the gender pay gap can be partially explained by individual characteristics such as job role or field of activity. Yet, nearly half (48.2 percent) of the gap remains unexplained, suggesting that discrimination or other unmeasured factors may still be at play.

Age and career seniority also influence the gender pay gap in Switzerland. The share of women working full time declines with age, from 54.1 percent for women under 30 to 30.3 percent for those aged 50 and over. Meanwhile, men in the 30-49 age group work full time in larger numbers (81.7 percent), dropping to 78.4 percent for workers aged 50 and over.

Married women under 30 earned 6.6 percent less than their male peers in 2022. The gap increases for child-free married women, who earned 16 percent less than married men. Interestingly, the reverse is true for men, who earn more the more hours they work, with advancing age making little difference.

The gap is particularly pronounced for married women with children. In both the private and public sectors, married women with children earned 21 percent less than married men with children in 2022. Men with children, on the other hand, earned 21.4 percent more than child-free men, but the difference was only 6.6 percent for women.

The higher women climb the career ladder in Switzerland, the greater the pay gap. Women in senior positions earned 5.7 percent less in non-management roles and 14.7 percent less in management roles compared to men doing a similar job.

However, a specific figure for the current average wage gap between married men and women with children in Switzerland for the year 2022 could not be found.

Despite these challenges, women working between 50 and 90 percent of full-time hours in Switzerland earn more over time compared to those working full time or less than 50 percent. This trend suggests that as women advance in their careers and gain more experience, they may close the pay gap to some extent.

In conclusion, while Switzerland has made strides in addressing the gender pay gap, the figures indicate that there is still a long way to go. Efforts to understand and address the root causes of the gap, particularly those that remain unexplained, will be crucial in achieving true pay equality.