Cleaning is a frequent source of conflict in many households. It’s not just in shared apartments that the cleaning schedule causes friction. Numerous couples also often struggle with the question of who should clean what. As a result, more and more people are seeing a paid cleaning service as the solution.
Feel free to take advantage of the opportunity to register for free on suuber.ch and quickly and easily find an affordable cleaning lady who will take the task off your hands.
Cleaning staff in Switzerland: How many households can afford a cleaning lady?
Being able to pay a cleaning lady requires a certain budget. However, this budget is quite manageable, and more and more people are valuing their own free time more highly.
As a result, one in seven or eight households now employs a cleaning person. While the figures vary slightly depending on the survey, there are no gender differences, as both men and women are happy to leave the task to a cleaning helper.
Most cleaning staff work in private households every two weeks or weekly. This allows for a wide variety of tasks to be easily delegated, whether it’s ironing, cleaning, vacuuming, or laundry.
However, it is generally clear that the tendency to hire a cleaning help increases significantly with increasing income. With an income of more than CHF 10,000, 27% of all households already employ a private cleaning help (https://bauschweiz.ch/klasse/baunews/putzhilfe-fast-jeder-achte-putzt-daheim-nicht-selber/ ).
How many (official) cleaning staff are there in Switzerland?
Unfortunately, many people in Switzerland and many other countries employ cleaners, often without registering them. This is done to save on taxes, social security contributions, and insurance. The risks involved are often completely underestimated. The lack of protection becomes a disaster not only when the authorities find out. Accidents, illnesses, and theft also cause massive problems, often resulting in significant financial losses.
It is estimated that around 250,000 cleaners work in Switzerland. However, only 92,000 are officially registered. Even though this number is rising, it is clear that most cleaners in Switzerland work without any social security.
With Suuber, you don’t have to worry about insurance, registration, or social security contributions . Suuber takes care of all these tasks for you. Your expenses are itemized in detail, so you can track every single charge.
Comparisons with neighboring countries Germany and Austria: What do the cleaning staff statistics look like there?
In Germany, the size of the shadow economy is significantly larger. It is estimated to account for 8.7% of the total economy ( https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/253682/umfrage/schattenwirtschaft-in-deutschland-in-prozent-des-bip/ ). In Switzerland, however, the share of GDP is only 5.6%.
In Germany, the large neighboring country, fewer people can afford their own cleaning help. The figure is around 8.1%, which corresponds to about one in twelve households. However, of the approximately 3.3 million cleaning workers, only about 300,000 are officially registered ( https://www.iwd.de/artikel/in-fast-drei-millionen-haushalten-arbeiten-putzkraefte-schwarz-437650/ ).
In contrast to Germany, the figures in Austria are much more comparable to those in Switzerland. Here, too, roughly one in seven households employs a domestic helper. However, it is alarming that the rate of undeclared work is said to be even higher than in Germany ( https://kurier.at/politik/inland/land-der-schlawiner-nur-drei-prozent-zahlen-putzfrau-korrekt/400559354 ).
How much does a cleaning lady earn in Switzerland?
According to the job portal Indeed, the average hourly wage for a cleaner is CHF 24.78. However, statistics and studies on this topic vary considerably.
This is due, not least, to the fact that the majority of cleaning staff in Switzerland still work illegally .
Depending on the region, experienced cleaning ladies may earn 30 or even 32 CHF, while other cleaning ladies receive only 18 or 20 CHF per hour and are not even covered by social security.
In Germany, a cleaning lady’s salary typically ranges between €13 and €17. Since the exchange rate between the two currencies is now almost equal, this corresponds to the same value in CHF. Despite the higher cost of living in Switzerland, the pay is therefore significantly better.
What percentage of the cleaning industry is male?
The term “cleaning lady” is usually used generically. While this may seem somewhat surprising with regard to both genders, it is simply a reflection of reality.
Overall, the proportion of men in the cleaning industry is between 25 and 33%. Generally, men are more likely to be permanently employed and work in positions related to building or facade cleaning.
In the household cleaning sector, the proportion of women is significantly higher. This is partly due to the high rate of part-time work. Overall, more than 60% of cleaners in Switzerland work part-time.
Many private clients specifically seek out a female cleaner. One recurring concern is the perceived lower risk of entrusting a key to a woman. However, there are no statistics to actually support this claim. Ultimately, the subjective feeling is crucial for hiring a cleaner.
Feel free to browse the cleaning staff on suuber.ch and get in touch. Free registration as an employer only takes a few minutes.
