Absence due to illness among employees was again higher in the fourth quarter of 2022 than in the same period a year earlier, according to figures from Statistics Netherlands on Friday. This has been the case every year since 2016.
At the end of last year, absenteeism due to illness was 5.6 percent. That is almost as high as in 2000, when the highest absenteeism was measured.
An absenteeism rate of 5.6 means that 56 of every thousand working days are absent due to illness. Because absenteeism shows a seasonal pattern, the figures are compared with the same period in previous years. This is because absenteeism is generally higher in the first and fourth quarters than in the spring and summer.
In most industries, absenteeism in the fourth quarter of 2022 was higher than a year earlier. At 8 percent, absenteeism was highest in the healthcare sector.
The difference with a year earlier was the greatest in public administration: 5.7 percent in 2021 and 6.4 percent in 2022. Absenteeism in this sector was therefore higher than 6 percent for the first time in nineteen years. Absenteeism also increased sharply in water and waste management, from 6.5 percent to 7.1 percent. Never before has absenteeism in a fourth quarter been so high there.
Lowest absenteeism in agriculture and fisheries
Absenteeism was lowest in agriculture and fisheries. The absenteeism rate in this sector was 3.8 percent at the end of 2021 and 3.3 percent at the end of 2022.
Within the healthcare sector, the absenteeism percentage in nursing, care and home care was higher than the average at 9.3. Absenteeism was also higher in care for the disabled and childcare.
The difference compared to the end of 2021 was the greatest among general practitioners and health centres. At the end of last year, 7.9 percent of employees in this sector were absent. A year earlier that was 6.3 percent.