Gender pay disparity among cross-border workers in Ticino

Context

TL;DR

• Online research in May 2026 involving 1.542 cross-border workers
• Women make up 42,4% of the sample
• Under 3.500 francs: 41,5% of female cross-border workers
• Under equal conditions, approximately 520 more gross francs for men

Key facts

Research → «Working across borders» Conducted by → BiblioLavoro, research center of Cisl Lombardia Questionnaire → online in May 2026 Sample → 1.542 cross-border workers, mostly members of Ocst Presentation → Saturday, October 24, Ville Ponti, Varese Women in the sample → 42,4%

On Saturday, October 24, the results of «Working across borders» were presented at Ville Ponti in Varese. BiblioLavoro, the research center of Cisl Lombardia, conducted the survey for Cisl dei Laghi, Cisl Sondrio, Cisl Piemonte Orientale and the Ticino trade union Ocst, based on an online questionnaire to which, in May 2026, 1.542 cross-border workers responded, most of them members of Ocst.

The basis for comparison

Women account for 38,5% of Italians working in Ticino; in the province of Varese, female cross-border workers number 12.164, accounting for 39% of the total. In the research sample, the female share rises to 42,4%. The percentages refer to different bases: the first to Italians employed in Ticino, the second to female cross-border workers in the province of Varese, and the third to the people who answered the questionnaire. From a purely arithmetic standpoint, the sample is 3,9 points higher than 38,5% and 3,4 points higher than 39%.

Income brackets

The difference becomes more evident when looking at the monthly gross income shares reported by the research.

The differences between the shares are 10,8 percentage points below 2.500 francs, 17,2 points below 3.000 and 24,1 points below 3.500. In the bracket of at least 5.000 francs, the gap is 18,9 points, this time in favor of men. These calculations were obtained by subtracting the values reported by the source: they do not indicate a change over time, because the thresholds belong to the same survey.

The sequence of thresholds makes the comparison clear without turning it into a forecast: as the threshold considered increases, the distance between the female and male shares grows in the lower brackets, while the highest bracket shows a greater male presence. The source thus documents a different wage distribution between women and men among cross-border workers in the Canton of Ticino, without attributing the result to a single profession or a single sector.

Operational details

Working hours do not fully explain the gap

Beyond salary brackets, the research also considers the employment percentage. Full-time employment accounts for 85,3% of men and 51,1% of women. Among female cross-border workers, 48,9% work at a reduced employment percentage. The most common arrangements are 80% (18,2%), 70% (8,3%) and 60% (6,6%).

The comparison between the two shares of full-time employment produces a difference of 34,2 percentage points: 85,3% minus 51,1%. The 48,9%, on the other hand, indicates the share of female cross-border workers in reduced employment and is not the corresponding male percentage. The source does not provide that figure, so the correct comparison remains the one between the explicitly reported shares.

Comparison under equal conditions

According to the analysis, part-time work alone is not enough to explain the difference. To isolate the gap, the researchers considered age, educational attainment, employment percentage and professional role together. Even with these elements held equal, female workers report on average approximately 520 fewer gross francs per month than men; a statistically significant difference.

The gap “does not appear to be entirely attributable” to the other characteristics considered.

This passage adds a verifiable connection to the comparison of hours: on the one hand, the distribution of working hours is very different, with a gap of 34,2 percentage points in full-time employment; on the other, after considering the variables indicated by the research, a reported average difference of approximately 520 gross francs per month remains. The text does not present that figure as a salary threshold, a rate or a forecast, but as the average result of the comparison between the responses.

The reference period remains that of the online questionnaire completed in May 2026. For this reason, the income brackets and the average difference should not be read as a time series. The research provides a comparative picture of the sample: it shows both the extent of part-time employment and the gap that the researchers observe even after considering age, education, employment percentage and role. This is a useful distinction because it avoids reducing the entire salary comparison to the sole number of hours worked.

Key points

Pension provision, maternity and collective bargaining

The chapter on pensions examines knowledge of one’s pension fund, that is, the second pillar, referred to here as LPP. 74% of women say they know little or nothing about how it works; among men, the share is 66%. The research indicates that the issue affects part-time workers in particular.

The pension fund threshold

For 2026, the threshold triggering mandatory enrollment in a pension fund is 22.680 francs per year with a single employer. However, people holding several small jobs may remain without coverage even with a higher combined income. The publication gives the example of 15mila francs earned from each of two companies: neither employer, considered separately, is required to insure the worker.

On this front, Ocst and its national organization Travail.Suisse are calling for salaries paid by different employers to be counted together for pension purposes. The request is linked to the situation described by the research, in which reduced working hours and holding several jobs can affect second-pillar coverage.

Maternity and the professional gap

Maternity is also among the topics addressed by the publication. In Switzerland, leave is 14 weeks; for fathers, the two weeks have been provided since 2021. Travail.Suisse and Ocst support a popular initiative, currently in the signature-collection phase, providing 18 weeks for each parent, which cannot be transferred between them. The stated aim is to ensure that the birth of a child does not continue to weigh almost exclusively on mothers’ careers.

The research proposes collective bargaining as a tool to counter the pay gap between men and women. In the preface, Contessa recalls the “urgent need for gender equity, both in terms of pay and employment.”

The documented scope remains wages, working hours, pensions and maternity for cross-border workers who work in Canton Ticino. The source provides no information on the G permit, AVS, LAMal, tax rebates, withholding tax or double taxation: these topics therefore cannot be used to add explanations to the research percentages. To explore pension provision further, consult LPP e rendita.

Source: varesenews.it