Time missed from work due to illness clearly increased last year compared to the previous year.
The length of absences particularly increased among older people. For workers over the age of 55, time spent away from work due to illness doubled from the year 2005 to 2006. Over half of those absent were gone for at least ten days. In 2005, that number was around five days.
The duration of illness-related absences among people between the ages of 45 and 54 also increased somewhat. However, a decrease was seen for those between the ages of 35 and 44.
Municipal workers in particular had longer absences from work.
According to researcher Pekka Ylöstalo of the Ministry of Labour, serious illnesses - rather than simple colds - are responsible for the long absences.
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