Nominal wages in Switzerland rose on average by 2.1 per cent in 2009, with the increase 2.6 per cent in real terms, the Federal Statistics Office says.

The increase is the highest recorded in eight years but the statistics office points out that salaries for 2009 were agreed during the previous autumn when the effects of the economic crisis had not fully been felt.

The figure in real terms takes into account a negative inflation rate of 0.5 per cent.

Commenting on the figures, the statistics office said the service sector on average recorded nominal increases of two per cent, similar to that in 2008 (2.1 per cent), while those in the industrial sector were up by 2.3 per cent.

It added that the highest increases in the service sector were seen in the post and telecommunications branch (3.3 per cent), in the hotel and restaurant branch (2.4 per cent), in public administration (2.3 per cent) and in retail trade (2.3 per cent).

The statistics office also noted that between 2000 and 2008, salaries in real terms had on average grown in a range of – 0.4 per cent and 1.5 per cent.

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