Self-Employment declining in Switzerland

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Investec
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The percentage of Switzerland’s workers working for themselves has been slowly declining. In 2010, 13.7% of workers were self-employed. By 2017, the figure was 12.8% – self-employed includes those working as independents and those working for companies they own.

Swiss (14.5%) are far more likely to be self-employed than foreigners (7.9%). This is partly explained by the low number of foreign farmers – farming is the Swiss industry with the highest percentage of owner operators (46%).

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The highest concentrations of self-employed are found among those over 65 (43.4%), 55-64 (19.7%) and 40-54 (15.5%). Far fewer young people opt to work for themselves. Only 1.4% of those under 25 and 7.1% of those between 24 and 40.

Tertiary qualified people (15.3%) are far more likely to be their own boss than those with only a high school education (6.5%).

The self-employed work hard. 46.6% report working during the week and at weekends compared to only 13.9% of salaried employees. In addition, they take nearly 4 less days off a year – 21.9 versus 25.7.

In 2017, the rate of self-employment in Switzerland (12.8%) was below the EU average (14.5%).

About Investec

Investec is a distinctive Specialist Bank and Asset Manager. We provide a diverse range of financial products and services to a niche client base in three principal markets, the United Kingdom, South Africa and Australia, as well as certain other geographies. Investec’s strategic goals are motivated by the desire to develop an efficient and integrated business on an international scale through the active pursuit of clearly established core competencies in the group’s principal business areas.

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