Job satisfaction falls for many Swiss workers

Many workers in Switzerland are dissatisfied Keystone-SDA

The mood among employees in Switzerland is increasingly gloomy, according to a survey conducted by the consulting firm Gallup.

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Only 45% of surveyed workers said they were satisfied and confident in their jobs in 2024.

The figure represents a considerable drop in mood compared to the previous year, when job satisfaction stood at 54%. Before the pandemic, almost 70% of employees in Switzerland said they were happy at their workplace.

Some 227,000 employees in 149 countries, including Switzerland, took part in the survey, carried out between April and December 2024.

The high dissatisfaction rate among employees ranks Switzerland 22nd in Europe (the previous year it was ranked 11th). In the rest of Europe, the mood declined in 15 countries. But in 17 other countries employees now appear more satisfied and confident than last year, writes Gallup.

Looking beyond Switzerland’s borders, it is clear that its neighbours are not faring much better. Among the neighbouring countries, the figures for Germany and Austria are virtually identical to those for Switzerland.

Finland (81%), Iceland and Denmark (both 77%), Sweden and the Netherlands (both 69%) dominate the ranking of countries with the most satisfied employees, as in the survey conducted last year.

“The decline in satisfaction in Switzerland can be attributed to various factors,” Marco Nink, a Gallup executive, quoted in a statement. “Data from the federal government show a clear increase in the cost of living, a decrease in trust in institutions as well as concern about economic development. These elements have an impact on the mood.”

In addition to the elements just mentioned, there is a growing resentment towards Swiss politics and the economy. “On the other hand, the standard of living in Switzerland remains high and feelings of anger, loneliness and sadness appear rather subdued,” added Nink.

A further downward trend from the previous survey is the emotional attachment to one’s employer. Only 8% (9% the year before) of employees felt attached to their direct superior. This low esteem for bosses places Switzerland second to last in Europe. The situation is also similar in direct comparison with neighbouring countries.

The majority of employees in the Confederation (83%) are only marginally committed and do no more than the bare minimum. Moreover, “9% of those surveyed have even already resigned within themselves”.

This “internal resignation” not only has an impact on the performance and competitiveness of individual companies, but also on the economy as a whole. “In fact, little or no emotional commitment generates costs in Switzerland in terms of productivity losses of around CHF89.9 billion per year,” Gallup estimates. “This corresponds to about 12% of economic performance.”

At the same time, the willingness of the Swiss to look for another job remains rather low: only 22% (+1 percentage point) of Swiss employees are looking for a new job. But as far as the level of pressure in the workplace is concerned, Switzerland is well placed: 30% of employees say they are stressed, a lower proportion than in Europe as a whole (38%), says the study.

Adapted from Italian with DeepL/mga

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