“Higher wages don’t combat skilled workers shortage”, say Swiss employers

Swiss employers argue against wage increases to attract skilled workers. © Keystone / Georgios Kefalas

According to the president of the Swiss Employers' Association (SAV), higher wages are pointless against the labour shortage. 

It is particularly damaging when the public sector turns this screw, said SAV President Severin Moser.

“If wage competition intensifies, it will not lead to more people and more job opportunities,” said Moser in an interview with the Neue Zürcher Zeitung published on Saturday.

Aside from wages, companies would have to think about how they can remain attractive to new and existing employees. Better working conditions and additional benefits are conceivable. Moser also mentioned affordable childcare places for working parents. Companies would have to offer new models such as reduced working hours for older employees.

Switzerland is dependent on workers from abroad, said Moser. Moser countered the accusation that immigration was too cheap for employers by saying that the domestic resident population was not simply unemployed and available. “We don’t bring in the foreigners because we don’t want to invest in the locals.” There are basically too few domestic workers who are already trained or who are being trained.

But Switzerland cannot turn the migration screw at will either. Neighboring countries struggled with similar problems. “Germany, France and Italy will not stand by and watch as we steal workers away from them with higher wages,” said Moser.

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