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Sick pay period, 1st quarter 2022

Sickness absence rate increased in the first quarter 2022

Statistical news from Statistics Sweden 2022-06-08 8.00

The number of sick days per employee in a sick pay period increased in the first quarter of 2022, compared with the corresponding quarter of 2021. The average number of sick days in a sick pay period was 2.99 days per employee.

Among women, the number of sick days per employee increased by 1.06 days and among men, sick days increased by 0.94 days, compared with the corresponding quarter of 2021.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic greatly affected the number of sick days and sick periods in 2020 and 2021 and will continue to affect the figures throughout 2022.

Sick days per employee and sick pay period, by sector and by sex, first quarter
Sector Sex First quarter
    2022 2021 Change Percentage change
Business sector Women 2.80 1.81 0.99 54.3
  Men 2.51 1.60 0.91 57.2
  Total 2.62 1.68 0.94 56.1
Municipality Women 4.71 3.41 1.30 38.1
  Men 3.69 2.45 1.24 50.4
  Total 4.46 3.18 1.28 40.3
Regions Women 3.90 2.76 1.14 41.2
  Men 2.95 1.86 1.09 58.3
  Total 3.69 2.57 1.13 44.0
Central government Women 2.53 1.71 0.82 48.2
  Men 2.07 1.20 0.87 71.8
  Total 2.31 1.47 0.84 57.6
Non-profit institutions serving households Women 2.59 1.63 0.96 58.9
  Men 1.68 1.07 0.60 56.3
  Total 2.24 1.42 0.82 57.5
Total Women 3.41 2.35 1.06 45.0
  Men 2.59 1.65 0.94 56.8
  Total 2.99 1.99 1.00 50.0

Number of sick periods increased

The number of sick periods per employee increased in the first quarter of 2022 compared with the corresponding quarter of 2021. There were 0.64 sick periods per employee. In the business sector, there were 0.57 sick periods per employee, while in the central government sector there were 0.50 sick periods per employee. In municipalities and regions, there were 0.93 and 0.81 sick periods per employee, respectively.

Definitions and explanations

Sick pay period The period when an employee is absent from work due to sickness and is eligible for sick pay.

Sick days All calendar days in a sick period, regardless of whether or not the employee is reimbursed with sick pay. 

Sick period Each time an employee falls ill, a new sick period is generated, regardless of the number of sick days in the sick period. The survey shows periods that were completed during the quarter.

All changes are calculated from unrounded data.

This survey is published quarterly.

Next publishing will be

2022-09-06 at 08:00.

Statistical Database

More information is available in the Statistical Database

Feel free to use the facts from this statistical news but remember to state Source: Statistics Sweden.

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