The Covid-19 pandemic is driving down wages in Switzerland: 34% of the population have seen their incomes drop in 2020 due to the coronavirus, either because of short-time work or as a result of being laid off.
The data, reported by Sunday newspaper Le Matin Dimanche, emerge from a survey conducted in 24 countries by collection company Intrum. Faced with this situation, one in five Swiss (19%) were forced to postpone the payment of at least one invoice – a figure higher than that reported in a similar survey in 2018, when the percentage was 14.6%.
“With the second wave of the pandemic and perhaps a third one coming in the spring, as well as drastic new measures taken by the federal government and the cantons, we can expect unemployment to rise at the end of the year, a phenomenon that will go hand in hand with further job losses,” Daniel Lampart, chief economist at the Swiss Trade Union Federation, told Le Matin Dimanche. “This will hurt a lot,” he pointed out.
Almost a quarter (24%) of the people surveyed in Switzerland said they feared an additional decline in the near future.
Last month the government agreed to extend the short-time working compensation and unemployment benefits. A bill to parliament foresees financial support for employees with fixed-term contracts, including apprentices.
More
More
Coronavirus: the situation in Switzerland
This content was published on
An overview of the latest Covid-related information in the Alpine nation.
This content was published on
The Swiss government wants boost an emergency fund for companies hard hit by the Covid-19 restrictions and grant aid to sports clubs.
Is your place of origin, your Heimatort, important to you?
Every Swiss citizen has a Heimatort, a place of origin, but many have never visited theirs. What’s your relationship with your Heimatort? What does it mean to you?
What factors should be taken into account when inheriting Swiss citizenship abroad?
Should there be a limit to the passing on of Swiss citizenship? Or is the current practice too strict and it should still be possible to register after the age of 25?
A twin of the Milky Way existed in the young cosmos
This content was published on
A billion years after the Big Bang, there was already a spiral galaxy that resembles the Milky Way, according to the James Webb Space Telescope
Trains resume service to Swiss ski resort Zermatt after heavy snowfall
This content was published on
Zermatt can once again be reached by train starting Saturday afternoon. The Alpine holiday resort was inaccessible by land for some time after heavy snowfall last Thursday.
Authorities urge vigilance after heavy snowfall in southern Switzerland
This content was published on
Vigilance remains the order of the day in the southern canton of Valais, despite a stable situation after heavy snow on Thursday, authorities said on Saturday.
Switzerland won’t be spared drug violence: criminal police head
This content was published on
It is only a matter of time before Switzerland, like other countries in Europe, experiences an escalation in drug-related violence, says the head of the Federal Criminal Police.
Handful of Swiss Easter processions take place after inclement weather
This content was published on
Traditional Good Friday processions continue to take place in some municipalities in Switzerland. In Romont, canton Fribourg, for example, the "Pleureuses" marched through the streets.
Great St. Bernard pass between Switzerland and Italy closed due to avalanche
This content was published on
An avalanche forced the closure of the Great St. Bernard pass between Switzerland and Italy on Thursday. The route remains closed to Easter traffic.
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.
Read more
More
New anti-corona measures: restaurants closed, ski areas open
This content was published on
Switzerland to close restaurants, bars for a month from Tuesday to curb the spread of the coronavirus, ski areas remain open, the government says.
This content was published on
The Swiss-run International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will cut 95 posts owing to financial pressures linked to the Covid-19 pandemic.
This content was published on
The latest work figures show that 85,000 fewer people are employed now than at the same time in 2019 – the biggest decline since 1993.
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.