The Swiss Employers’ Association wants to tackle labour shortages with longer working hours and other incentives to entice people into the labour market, it said on Monday.
This content was published on
2 minutes
AWP/dos
Español
es
La patronal propone medidas contra la escasez de mano de obra
Around 120,000 positions in Switzerland are currently unfilled due to a shortage of skilled workers, with half a million expected by 2030, the association wrote in a statement.
It added that the situation is worsened by people working less hours due to a boom in part-time employment and various other forms of holidays.
To “increase the total volume of work done”, the association proposes incentives like the promotion of family-friendly working conditions and the abolition of a tax penalising married couples.
Replacing the “marriage tax” – which financially encourages one partner to stay at home – with an individual taxation system could help generate up to 60,000 full-time positions, the association claims.
It also said the attractivity of apprenticeships should be boosted, while the trend towards shorter working hours – especially among academics – should be countered by a system which forces university graduates to pay off study fees.
Union pushback
The Swiss Trade Union Federation rejected the idea of working more. On Monday it said working conditions and the organisation of the working environment needed to be improved in order to reconcile career and family and to ensure that people are not working so hard that they get sick on the job.
Wage increases are also overdue, especially for those with an apprenticeship qualification, the unions claimed.
Popular Stories
More
Swiss Abroad
The citizenship obstacle course facing spouses of Swiss Abroad
As a Swiss Abroad, how do you feel about the emergence of more conservative family policies in some US states?
In recent years several US states have adopted more conservative policies on family issues, abortion and education. As a Swiss citizen living there, how do you view this development?
Swiss diocese introduces code of conduct to tackle church abuse
This content was published on
The Diocese of Sion has introduced a code of conduct to tackle all forms of church-related abuse. A prevention commission has also been established.
Women are the victims of most domestic shootings in Switzerland
This content was published on
Between 2015 and 2022, only one of the 41 perpetrators of domestic gun homicides was female. The vast majority of these cases were femicides.
Swiss army to invest in military equipment and decommission Patrouille Suisse jets
This content was published on
The Swiss army is set to spend CHF1.5 billion on new armaments. The 2025 Armed Forces Dispatch also plans to decommission the current Patrouille Suisse.
Geneva report urges ICJ action against Nicaragua for ‘repression’
This content was published on
International investigators in Geneva have accused Nicaragua's regime of possible crimes against humanity, urging the country be brought before the ICJ.
Swiss defence ministry files criminal complaint over resignation leaks
This content was published on
The Swiss defence ministry has filed a criminal complaint after leaks about the resignations of the army and intelligence chiefs.
WHO’s global lab network faces collapse without new funding
This content was published on
As measles cases surge in Texas, Geneva-based WHO warns its largest global laboratory network is on the brink of collapse unless new funding is secured.
Charges dropped in Geneva parcel bomb investigation
This content was published on
The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) is looking to drop the case against two brothers linked to the Geneva parcel bomb incidents.
German and Swiss men arrested in Zurich cocaine raid
This content was published on
Swiss police seized four kilos of cocaine and over CHF100,000 in cash from two suspected drug dealers in Schlieren, near Zurich.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.