Almost all mothers work in Switzerland

This is the result of a study by the Federal Statistical Office (BFS) published Tuesday. Accordingly, 82 percent of mothers in Switzerland took part in the labor market last year.

The rate has therefore increased by more than 20 percent over the past three decades. The employment rate of fathers (97 percent) decreased slightly and remained at a very high level.

Before becoming mothers, 90 percent of women in Switzerland were working. After the first birth, the employment rate dropped to 80 percent, and after the second motherhood, the female employment rate dropped to 69 percent.

Last year, 78 percent of working mothers worked part-time. According to the BFS, more and more mothers are working at higher employment levels. In 1991, the proportion of working mothers between 50 and 89 percent rose from 26 percent to 45 percent.

Shortly before the birth of their first child, 40 percent of women were working part-time, double that number when they returned to work. After the birth of the second child, the proportion of part-time workers continued to increase, albeit slightly.

According to the BFS, fathers worked slightly more part-time after the birth of their first child than before (14 percent versus 10 percent). The proportion of fathers working part-time was higher among Swiss than among foreigners.

On average, mothers spent five years outside the labor market before returning to work. Fewer than one in ten mothers worked full time after returning to work in 2021. The average employment level was 36 percent.

In a European comparison, Switzerland ranks 8th for the employment rate of mothers with children under the age of six. By close to 75 percent, Switzerland is almost 9 points behind the leader Portugal, but 8 percent above the EU average.

For mothers with children aged six to eleven, Switzerland ranks 17th with an employment rate of 78 percent.

(SDA)