Swiss NGO Demands Measures To Help Working Poor

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) Despite having a job, around 360,000 people in Switzerland struggle to make ends meet. The NGO Caritas warns that the extent of working poverty is being underestimated and is being worsened by rising living costs. Select your language

Generated with artificial intelligence. Listening: Swiss NGO demands measures to help working poor This content was published on September 28, 2026 - 12:05 3 minutes Keystone-SDA

Français fr Caritas réclame des mesures pour les travailleurs pauvres Original Read more: Caritas réclame des mesures pour les travailleurs pa Português pt Trabalho já não garante sair da pobreza na Suíça Read more: Trabalho já não garante sair da pobreza na Su

Caritas believes that Switzerland is not doing enough to tackle poverty. Ahead of the announcement of higher health insurance premiums, the organisation called on Monday for better support for people who work but are unable to meet household needs.

According to an example presented by Caritas on Monday, the salary of a full-time driver is barely enough to support his family of six in canton Zurich. The contribution towards his youngest son's nursery fees exceeds their budget.

The organisation is calling for targeted measures to tackle in-work poverty, as the rise in health insurance premiums threatens to place an even greater burden on low-income households.

+ Poverty misunderstood in wealthy Switzerland

Nearly 360,000 people in work – 8.8% of the working population – do not earn enough to meet regular household needs, Caritas told journalists at a press event on Monday. If you take into account those living with them, this rises to over 820,000 people affected. The number of people in work at risk of poverty has never been higher since the current measurement method was introduced in 2014, according to the NGO.

Families with no financial buffer

Nearly half of the working-age people at risk of poverty – some 180,000 people – live with children. Caritas adds that people whose income is just above the poverty line are often not entitled to social assistance.

Households on the lowest incomes spend almost all their resources on fixed expenses and essential needs, said Aline Masé, head of the research and policy department at Caritas Switzerland. They therefore have little leeway to absorb new costs.

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