The past years have been marked by uncertainties: trade policy tensions, geopolitical crises, cost pressures. Employees have borne these times. The innovative capability and resilience for which the Swiss economy is praised are their achievements. However, salaries have not kept pace, while work pressure and living costs have steadily increased.
In many sectors, such as the chemical and pharmaceutical industries or the machine, electrical, and metal industry (MEM) as a whole, salaries have risen less sharply than productivity for years. Employees have significantly contributed to the competitiveness of companies and should therefore share in the long-term productivity improvements.
For 2027, an improvement in the economic situation is also on the horizon - both in the domestic market and in the export economy. Companies have adapted to the new framework conditions, and investments and exports are likely to pick up again. This stabilization course creates room for salary improvements.
Angestellte Schweiz, therefore, demands salary increases of an average of 1.5 percent, though this demand should be viewed differently depending on the economic situation of individual sectors and companies.
For context: Inflation of about 0.7 percent is expected for 2026 and 2027, alongside further increases in living costs such as health insurance premiums. However, this figure is not a benchmark for the pay negotiations. Those who only get the living costs increased have the same amount in their wallets at the end of the year as before, nothing more. A real salary increase begins above that.
Retaining skilled workers is a strategic investment.
The shortage of skilled workers is still acute in many sectors, and it is worsening most where value creation is highest. According to the Skilled Worker Monitor by Angestellte Schweiz, the MEM industry, for example, needs around 83,000 additional skilled workers by 2031. In specialized areas, companies compete for the same talent. Those who want to meet this demand must already be attractive employers today.
In this situation, competitive salaries are not a cost factor but an investment. To retain skilled workers and attract new ones, companies must show what they are willing to commit to.
There is also a development that companies should take seriously: A survey by Angestellte Schweiz from this year shows that employees fear for their jobs. The concern is less about the job market and the geopolitical situation and more about their own company and its restructuring. This concern is particularly pronounced among young workers.
This insecurity binds no one; it drives employees away. Companies are therefore challenged to clearly explain what perspectives they offer their employees and how they want to develop them.
Pierre Derivaz, Managing Director of Angestellte Schweiz, states, 'The main success factor of our economy is and will remain the employees. The question of the pay negotiations is what companies are willing to invest to bind skilled workers to them.'
Training and healthy working conditions are part of the salary package.
Today, salary alone is no longer enough. Workers want to work under conditions that allow them to remain healthy, motivated, and capable in the long term, even as demands increase. This includes healthy workloads, a leadership culture that fosters trust, and access to training.
Angestellte Schweiz, therefore, demands binding training budgets, focusing on artificial intelligence. Particularly where financial leeway for salary increases is limited, targeted AI training offers are an effective complement. They equip employees to keep pace with technological changes - and the perspective that AI is an addition, not a replacement, for their work.
'Future successful industrial companies will not be those with the lowest personnel costs but those with the strongest employees. Good salaries, continuous training, and healthy working conditions are inseparable today,' says Pierre Derivaz.
Press Contact:
Pierre Derivaz
Managing Director Angestellte Schweiz
pierre.derivaz@angestellte.ch, +41 44 360 11 52
Tanja Tanneberger
Communication Angestellte Schweiz
tanja.tanneberger@angestellte.ch +41 44 360 11 21