By area of activity, 0.1% of the population was provided with taxi services and 0.3% performed other services (programming, food delivery, cleaning, etc.). Accommodation was rented somewhat more frequently by 0.6% of the population via internet platforms. 0.8% of the population sold goods that were specially collected, bought or produced via an internet platform.
Additional information in the form of graphics can be found in the following PDF HERE.
According to the results of the Swiss Labor Force Survey 2019 by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), a total of 1.6% of the 15- to 89-year-old population or 116,000 people stated that they performed internet-based platform work within the 12 months before the survey or submitted it via an internet platform Rented a room, an apartment or a house, or sold goods. Men provide services twice as often as women (2.1% vs. 1.2%).
This form of income acquisition is most common among 30- to 49-year-olds (2.2%), followed by 15- to 29-year-olds (1.7%) and 50- to 64-year-olds (1.6 %; 65 to 89 year olds: 0.7%). 1.8% of the 25-year-olds and older with tertiary education received income through internet-based platform work, online rental of accommodation or online sales of goods (secondary level I: 0.8%; secondary level II: 1.7%). The Swiss share of these services is 1.7%, which is similar to that of foreigners (1.5%).
The majority of the activities are carried out only sporadically
Only 0.2% of the population (14.8% of platform service providers) provide «regular and extensive» services via a platform (including renting accommodation and selling goods), they do this almost every month and work for at least ten hours a week or earn at least 10,000 CHF a year. Another 0.2% of the population (11.0% of the platform service providers) provide “regular but moderate” services via a platform, almost every month, and they work between one and less than ten hours a week or earn between 1000 and less than 10,000 CHF a year.
Platform service as additional income
Various reasons can lead to a person rendering services via an internet platform or app. The most common reason for 51.2% of platform service providers is the additional earning opportunity. 10.3% of the platform service providers cite the time flexibility (day, night and weekend) and 7.7% the local flexibility (work at home, on the go) as the reason for choosing this form of work. Furthermore, 3.4% of the platform service providers perform this form of paid services due to the compatibility with family tasks.
Almost two out of five platform service providers earn less than CHF 1,000 annually
The average gross annual income from platform services (including renting accommodation and selling goods) was CHF 5,849 per person in the year of 2019. The highest proportion of income below CHF 1,000 is found according to income classes (0.6% of the 15- to 89-year-old population or 37.7% of the platform service providers). 0.3% of the population earn between CHF 1001 and CHF 3000 per year via platform activities and another 0.3% between CHF 3001 and CHF 12000. Only 0.1% of the population has an annual gross income of more than CHF 12,000 via platform activities.
CONTACT INFO
Silvia Perrenoud, BFS, Section for Labor and Labor related issues,
Tel.: +41 58 463 66 32,
E-mail: silvia.perrenoud [at] bfs.admin.ch (silvia.perrenoud@bfs.admin.ch)