This indicator shows the share of persons holding positions at the lower end of the wage scale and therefore provides information on income precariousness.
From an integration perspective, a decrease in the share of persons on low wages indicates an improved situation.
People with a migration background – particularly those in the first generation – occupy more often a low-wage job than people without a migration background.
Between 2013 and 2020, the share of persons in low-wage jobs has slightly decreased in all the population groups studied.
Between 2021 and 2022, the share of persons in low-wage jobs has remained stable among the population without a migration background. However, it has increased among those with a migration background – particularly among the second or subsequent generations.
In all the major regions, the share of persons on low wages is higher among the population with a migration background than among the population without such a background. The biggest gap is found in Tessin.
A job is considered "low wage" when the wages, calculated on the basis of a full-time equivalent of 40 hours per week, are less than two-thirds of the median standardised gross earnings.
The share of low wages corresponds to the share of employees who have a low-wage job.
Employees are assigned to the low wage category on the basis of the wages recalculated for a standardised 40-hour week so that the work-time percentage does not affect whether people are assigned to this category.
