Swiss women are already paid 4-5% less than men at the beginning of their careers, a gap which cannot be accounted for by differences in education, experience or job type, researchers have found.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/Social Change in Switzerland/ilj
Women in general earn around 20% less than men in Switzerland for full-time jobs, which is often put down to the fact that they shoulder most of the domestic and family burden. According to this scenario, the gender pay gap should increase after the birth of a child as women take on more of the childcare, according to a studyExternal link published in the journal Social Change in Switzerland.
But the authors have found that wage inequality starts long before this. Benita Combet and Daniel Oesch, attached to the Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research LIVESExternal link, used the data from two panel studies of women and men aged between 20 and 30 who did not have children to compare the evolution of their wages. They found an “unexplained” gender pay gap of 4-5% right from entry into the labour market. This effectively meant that young women without children were earning on average half a month’s salary less than their male counterparts.
The researchers said that the pay gap arose despite the adults having similar qualifications and experience and being in comparable professions and sectors. For example, in sales, men were earning more than CHF4,000 ($4,100) after a year and a half, but women around CHF3,850.
“The division of roles in the household after starting a family is in no way the only reason why there are wage differences between the sexes,” a statement concluded.
More
More
Switzerland lands in ILO hall of shame over sexist wage gaps
This content was published on
Switzerland is at the bottom of the list when it comes to the wage gap between men and women in senior roles.
Swiss justice minister hopes EU reform will reduce irregular migration
This content was published on
The European Union’s (EU) New Pact on Migration and Asylum aims to curb irregular migration within Schengen, Justice Minister Beat Jans said on Tuesday.
Swiss electricity supply outlook positive despite uncertainties
This content was published on
Thanks to well-filled gas stores in Europe and increased availability of French nuclear power, the Swiss Federal Electricity Commission is optimistic.
Finance minister wants Swiss banks to hold more equity
This content was published on
Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter has repeated calls for banks and their holdings in subsidiaries abroad to hold more equity.
Telecoms sector kept Swiss competitions regulator busy in 2023
This content was published on
Last year, the Swiss Competition Commission (COMCO) conducted 27 investigations and initiated 17 preliminary investigations.
This content was published on
Although Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) achieved higher revenue at the start of the year, it suffered a dip in profits.
40,000 signatures against animal testing in Switzerland
This content was published on
Switzerland should do away with “restrictive” animal testing and should become a model for innovative, effective, and pain-free scientific research.
More than 45,000 signatures in favour of federal funding for UNRWA
This content was published on
The Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives (FAC) is expected to decide on the funding of the UNRWA at the beginning of the week.
This content was published on
At the end of January 2024, 6,881 men and women were behind bars in Switzerland. Almost 95% of all places were occupied, the highest number since 2014.
Swiss wage gap between genders remains bafflingly wide
This content was published on
The pay gap between men and women in Switzerland has increased slightly, amounting to hundreds of francs per month on average.
Mothers face double-edged sword in Swiss workplace culture
This content was published on
More women in Switzerland are calling for an end to a stigma on mothers in the workplace that is holding their careers and the country back.
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.