Marketagent investigates what time means to the Swiss population
How do we use our most precious asset—our time? Especially in today’s fast-paced world, this valuable resource is in short supply. Marketagent Switzerland conducted a survey to gauge public sentiment on the topic of time, and the results show that, for the majority of people, the clocks could certainly slow down a bit.
Time is passing far too quickly for the respondents. According to the survey, the last few years have flown by for almost four out of five respondents (79%). In addition, 58% have the feeling that time is running out. For the majority (69%), the reason for the feeling of being in a constant rush is the fast pace of today's world.
It is not surprising that there is a desire for more comfort. Stress levels in Switzerland are high: almost one in three people (31%) feel stressed once or several times a day. The survey results show that women suffer from daily stress more often than men (women: 36%; men: 27%). Men, on the other hand, find it easier to relax (men: 56%; women: 42%).
Swiss punctuality
Swiss punctuality is deeply rooted in the population. It is not a cliché, but an integral part of Swiss identity. This is because 63% of the German-speaking and French-speaking Swiss population consider punctuality to be very important, while a further 34% consider it to be somewhat important. Only 3% believe that this characteristic is irrelevant.
"Punctuality is likely to be a strategy for many people to deal with time pressure and plan their day," says Jacqueline Rütter from Marketagent Switzerland, explaining the results of the study. However, the younger the respondents, the less importance they place on punctuality. While punctuality is very important for 73% of baby boomers, this figure is only 52% for Generation Z.
Desire for more time for travel and hobbies
On average, around 15 hours a week are spent on household chores. Full-time employees invest even more time in their household: 17 hours on average. No wonder that many people would like to reduce this. 38 % of the German and French-speaking Swiss resident population would like to spend less time on housework. A good half of all working people (51%) would like to devote less time to work. On the other hand, there is a strong desire for more space in the diary for travel and hobbies.
Generation Z: Between work-life balance and stress
Generation Z - people born after 1994 - frequently express a desire for more time for the various areas of life, indicating a change in life priorities compared to the older generations in Switzerland, particularly Generation X and the Baby Boomers. 59% of young people from Generation Z would like to work less. Although the average workload in the household is the lowest for this generation (11 hours per week on average), the desire for less household work is high at 46%.
"The extended desire for more time for travel (78%), partnership (71%), sport (68%), social activities (66%) and hobbies and leisure activities (66%) shows that this generation places a strong focus on a lifestyle that leaves plenty of room for personal interests and social ties," explains Jacqueline Rütter. Generation Z is not simply lazy or unambitious, as the results indicate that Generation Z often suffers from stress (daily stress: 45%). Only two out of five representatives of this generation find it easy to relax, 65% wished the day had 48 hours. Worryingly, more than a quarter of this young generation (26%) say that they would like to have been born in a different time.
For the Marketagent Switzerland survey, online interviews were conducted from April 2 to April 14, 2024 with 1,047 people between the ages of 14 and 74
