Women are significantly worse off when it comes to occupational pensions
Published: Friday, Nov 24th 2023, 10:10
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Women are still significantly worse off than men when it comes to occupational pensions. This is confirmed by new statistics. In 2022, women received an average of CHF 1217 per month from the 2nd pillar, compared to CHF 2077 for men.
The median amount of lump-sum benefits paid out by pension funds and vested benefits institutions was just under CHF 153,564 for men and CHF 65,622 for women, according to new pension statistics published on Friday by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). This means that 50 percent of the pensions paid out were higher and 50 percent lower than this amount.
Almost half of second-pillar pension recipients living in Switzerland received only a pension in 2022. Just under 37% had their retirement benefits paid out in full as a lump sum. And around a fifth opted for a combination of pension and lump sum.
Different career paths
There are clear gender differences among people who only received a pension. The median amount for women was almost 40 percent lower than for men (CHF 1260 compared to CHF 2205). The difference between the sexes was also clear for people who received a combination of pension and lump sum. The median pension for men amounted to CHF 2035, compared to CHF 1192 for women.
According to the FSO, the large differences between women and men can mainly be explained by differences in career paths. Women interrupted their employment more often and worked more part-time, both primarily for family reasons.
The difference in pay between women and men also leads to differences in BV benefits. The FSO writes that housework and family work, which are more frequently performed by women, are not paid and have no influence on pension benefits.
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