Working Papers

The 2018 re-launch and revision of the online version of the Historical Statistics of Switzerland (HSSO) represents the last step in an already long history. This working paper contains detailed information about the various research projects that were developed at the University of Zurich from 1978 onwards in order to produce first an «analog» collection of historical data (published in book form in 1996) and then, from 2003 onwards, a «digital» version of this database.

This working paper aims to guide users through the data series on wages and earnings available on the www.hsso.ch website (hereafter: HSSO). It also lists additional data series that are not (yet) included in the database. The main text provides information on the historical context in which public wage statistics emerged and developed in Switzerland as well as on the broad design of several academic research projects mentioned by HSSO. More detailed presentations of sources, categories and methodologies are available in the appendices.