Just short of three-quarters of businesses in Switzerland plan to raise salaries this year, a new survey from recruitment consultancy Robert Walters has revealed. However, while firms say they are looking to improve the wages of their workers, the study also found that few did so last year without a push from staff.

74 percent of Swiss employers look to raise salaries

According to the findings, which contacted 16.750 staff and employers based in Switzerland, 74 percent of companies said they would be increasing wages in 2025. Many added that they would also be implementing new employee benefits in future, such as new bonuses, more paid leave and training opportunities.

However, the study also found that only 34 percent of companies gave their staff pay raises in 2024 without being asked. 33 percent of workers did not ask for or receive a pay rise, 11 percent had to switch jobs to get a raise and 14 percent had their requests for more money rejected.

One-third of staff in Switzerland unhappy with salaries

Interestingly, despite promising higher wages, a slim majority of companies asked (51 percent) believed their employees were satisfied with their salaries, compared to 30 percent who thought their staff were unhappy with their pay.

This optimism was not shared among actual employees, with only 4 percent of people reporting they were “very satisfied” with their pay packets. 30 percent said they were happy but saw room for improvement, 27 neither approved nor disapproved of their wages, while 36 percent said they did not feel their wages reflected the job market or their expectations.

"A competitive salary package is no longer a nice-to-have, it's a must," Robert Walters senior manager Charlotte Jacobs noted. In fact, 46 percent of workers asked said that they would be switching jobs if their calls for more pay were not heard in the next year.

Workers in Switzerland optimistic about higher wages

Nevertheless, 73 percent of staff surveyed said they were optimistic about getting a boost in income in 2025. In terms of how much they wanted the rise to be, 24 percent of workers said they hoped for a salary increase of 1 to 5 percent, 13 percent said they were looking for a 6 to 10 percent boost, while 14 percent are looking for a rise of 11 percent or more.

Though most employees seem confident of an increase, other studies suggest they are too optimistic about how much more they will receive. Studies by Swiss bank UBS and the KOF Swiss Economic Institute have predicted that wages will rise by between 1,6 and 1,4 percent in 2025.