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Sick pay period, 1st quarter 2021

Sickness absence rate decreased in the first quarter 2021

Statistical news from Statistics Sweden 2021-06-08 9.30

The number of sick days per employee in a sick pay period decreased in the first quarter of 2021, compared with the corresponding quarter of 2020. The average number of sick days in a sick pay period was 1.99 days per employee.

Among women, the number of sick days per employee decreased by 0.31 days and among men, sick days decreased by 0.23 days, compared with the corresponding quarter of 2020.

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

Sick days per employee and sick pay period, by sector and sex, first quarter
Sector Sex First quarter
    2021 2020 Change Percentage change
Business sector Women 1.81 2.12 ‑0.30 ‑14.4
  Men 1.60 1.81 ‑0.21 ‑11.5
  Total 1.68 1.93 ‑0.25 ‑12.8
Municipality Women 3.41 3.61 ‑0.20 ‑5.7
  Men 2.45 2.75 ‑0.30 ‑11.0
  Total 3.18 3.41 ‑0.23 ‑6.8
Regions Women 2.76 3.09 ‑0.33 ‑10.6
  Men 1.86 2.17 ‑0.31 ‑14.3
  Total 2.57 2.89 ‑0.33 ‑11.3
Central government Women 1.71 2.52 ‑0.82 ‑32.4
  Men 1.20 1.58 ‑0.37 ‑23.7
  Total 1.47 2.07 ‑0.60 ‑29.2
Non-profit institutions serving households Women 1.63 2.21 ‑0.58 ‑26.1
  Men 1.07 1.36 ‑0.28 ‑20.7
  Total 1.42 1.88 ‑0.46 ‑24.4
Total Women 2.35 2.67 ‑0.31 ‑11.7
  Men 1.65 1.88 ‑0.23 ‑12.1
  Total 1.99 2.26 ‑0.27 ‑11.9

Number of sick periods decreased

The number of sick periods per employee decreased in the first quarter of 2021 compared with the corresponding quarter of 2020. There were 0.44 sick periods per employee. In the business sector, there were 0.37 sick periods per employee, while in the central government sector there were 0.30 sick periods per employee. In the municipalities and regions, there were 0.68 and 0.61 sick periods per employee,

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

2021-09-07 at 09:30.

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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