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Employment and well-being after plant closure: Survey evidence from Switzerland on the mid and long run

Author

Listed:
  • Daniel Oesch

    (Centre LIVES, University of Lausanne, Switzerland; FORS, Lausanne, Switzerland)

  • Fiona Köster

    (Centre LIVES, University of Lausanne, Switzerland)

  • Matthias Studer

    (Centre LIVES, University of Geneva, Switzerland)

  • Isabel Baumann

    (ZHAW, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Switzerland)

Abstract

How does plant closure affect the employment and well-being of displaced workers? This article presents the results of two surveys of workers at five manufacturing plants two and 11 years after mass layoffs. After two years, two-thirds of displaced workers had been re-employed, one in five workers was still unemployed, and one in 10 workers had retired. A decade after the plant closures, unemployment had fallen below 5%. Overall, post-displacement outcomes in Switzerland were more favourable than in other European plant closures. However, age disparities loomed large. Older workers struggled to find new jobs and often had to accept large wage cuts and unstable jobs. In particular, many workers in their late forties and early fifties were hit hard as they were too young to benefit from early retirement, but too old to start over.

Suggested Citation

  • Daniel Oesch & Fiona Köster & Matthias Studer & Isabel Baumann, 2024. "Employment and well-being after plant closure: Survey evidence from Switzerland on the mid and long run," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 45(4), pages 964-986, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:ecoind:v:45:y:2024:i:4:p:964-986
    DOI: 10.1177/0143831X231209825
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