What Keeps Women Out of the Labor Force in Switzerland? What We Can Do About It

Labor market dynamics are changing rapidly around the globe. In Switzerland, there is an unprecedented demand for talent, coupled with low unemployment rate and demographic changes. In such circumstances, talent is a scarce and critical resource, yet women in Switzerland remain an underutilized talent pool. 1 in 3 working-age women don’t participate in the labor force. Of the employed women, 3 in 5 employed women work part-time.

If employers want to tap into this talent pool, they must better understand the priorities of women. BCG's joint white paper with EqualVoice by Ringier explores what matters the most to women when searching for a job in Switzerland – what are their dealbreakers and motivators. The research is based on a global BCG / The Network survey with ~90,000 respondents, ~1,000 in Switzerland. Amongst other, we find that women in Switzerland strongly value work-life balance, alignment of personal and company values and the appreciation for their work. We further propose 5 best practices for employers to respond to women’s preferences.