More than 8 billion working hours in 2023

According to the FSO's work volume statistics (AVOL), the total number of hours worked by all gainfully employed persons in Switzerland increased by 1.8% in 2023 compared to the previous year, even though more public holidays fell on a working day (Monday to Friday) in 2023 than in 2022. Without this effect, the increase in working hours would have been even greater (+2.8%), as the number of jobs (+2.6%) and the actual weekly working hours per job (+0.2%) increased in 2023.

Decrease in actual working hours for employees over five years 

From 2018 to 2023, the actual weekly working time of full-time employees (excluding employees in their own company) decreased by 46 minutes to 40 hours and 12 minutes. The reasons for this decline are the decrease in contractually agreed weekly working hours (-9 minutes to 41 hours and 43 minutes) and weekly overtime (-15 minutes to 40 minutes) as well as the increase in the weekly duration of absences (+22 minutes to 2 hours and 11 minutes). In the same period, the number of vacation weeks rose by 0.3 days to 5.2 weeks per year. In 2023, employees aged 20 to 49 had fewer weeks of vacation (5.0 weeks) than 15 to 19-year-olds and 50 to 64-year-olds (5.5 and 5.6 weeks respectively).

Over 44 hours per week in the primary sector

The highest actual working hours per week were recorded among full-time employees in the primary sector (44 hours and 23 minutes). This was followed by "Financial intermediation" (41 hours and 17 minutes), "Arts, entertainment, private households, other services" (40 hours and 51 minutes) and "Professional, scientific and technical services" (40 hours and 45 minutes). The shortest actual working hours were recorded in the construction industry at 39 hours and 42 minutes.

More than seven days of health-related absences 

At 64%, health-related absences (illness or accident) account for the largest share of the annual volume of absences among employees. Between 2022 and 2023, the average annual number of health-related absences among full-time employees fell from 9.3 to 7.6 days per job. The lowest number of absences in 2023 was recorded in the sectors "Information and communication" (5.9 days), "Banking and insurance" (6.0 days) and "Arts, entertainment, private households, other services" (also 6.0 days). The longest absences were recorded in the sectors "Agriculture and forestry" (11.6 days) and "Real estate and other business services" (9.4 days).

International comparisons turn out very differently 

For international comparisons, the method of calculating working hours must be adapted (see methodological appendix). The most important change is that people who are absent for an entire week are excluded, resulting in significantly higher working hours. According to this calculation, the actual weekly working time of full-time employees in Switzerland in 2023 was 42 hours and 33 minutes. This is the highest figure among the EU/EFTA countries. The shortest working hours were in Finland (36 hours and 29 minutes) and Belgium (36 hours and 32 minutes). In the EU, the average was 38 hours and 5 minutes.

However, if we look at the entire workforce, Switzerland was one of the countries with the shortest actual working hours per week at 35 hours and 30 minutes in 2023. The reason for this is the high proportion of part-time workers. Greece recorded the longest working hours (39 hours and 48 minutes) and the Netherlands the shortest (30 hours and 33 minutes). The EU average was 35 hours and 42 minutes.

If the total number of hours worked per week is compared to the total population (15 years and older), Switzerland is once again one of the countries with the longest actual weekly working hours at 23 hours and 1 minute. The explanation for this can be found in the high labor force participation rate. The longest working hours were recorded in Iceland (25 hours and 31 minutes) and the shortest in Italy (16 hours and 34 minutes). In the EU, the average was 19 hours and 26 minutes.

Source: FSO