Number of women in Swiss labour market more than doubled in half century
Number of women in the labor market more than doubled in 53 years
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Listening: Number of women in Swiss labour market more than doubled in half century
According to the Swiss Federal Statistical Office, women's participation in the labour market has more than doubled in half a century. The number of women in employment rose from 964,000 in 1970 to 2.264 million in 2023.
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Zahl der Frauen im Arbeitsmarkt in 53 Jahren mehr als verdoppelt
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This means that 46.7% of the working population (15 years or older) were women last year, according to a statement from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) on Thursday. In 1970, the figure was 33.9%. As the figures also show, this is accompanied by a significant increase in part-time employment among women, from 29.4% to 58% over the same period.
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Mum in the kitchen, dad in the shed: why roles are slow to change in Switzerland
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In Swiss families, although men are becoming more involved in household tasks, inequalities within couples increase when a child arrives.
Overall, the labour market (including both men and women) in Switzerland grew from 2.8 million to 4.8 million people between 1970 and 2023. According to FSO statistics, men made up 53.3% of the working population in 2023 with 2.5 million individuals. And the proportion of part-time work among them has also risen sharply: from 4.1% in 1970 to 19.6% last year. Together, men and women increased the proportion of the population working part-time from 12.7% to 37.6%.
The average age of the working population increased from 38.4 to 42.4 years between 1970 and 2023. According to the FSO, this increase is in line with the ageing population and longer periods of education. The number of people in employment has increased in almost all age groups. Only among 15- to 24-year-olds has it fallen: from 631,000 in 1970 to 546,000 in 2023, the FSO added.
Translated from German by DeepL/jdp
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