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Sickness Absence: a Pan-European Study

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  • Livanos, Ilias
  • Zangelidis, Alexandros

Abstract

This study, using the EU-LFS, examines the determinants of sickness absence in 26 EU countries. The analysis highlights the importance of demographic and workplace characteristics and of institutional and societal conditions. Female workers aged 26-35 exhibit higher absenteeism, possibly reflecting the level of high household labour pressure. Increased job insecurity, captured by temporary contracts, and labour market uncertainty, reflected in higher unemployment rates, have a negative effect on absenteeism. Finally, individual sickness absence is lower in countries with higher proportion of dependent/out of the labour market individuals, probably because of the increasing pressure labour active people may experience.

Suggested Citation

  • Livanos, Ilias & Zangelidis, Alexandros, 2010. "Sickness Absence: a Pan-European Study," MPRA Paper 22627, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:22627
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    File URL: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/22627/1/MPRA_paper_22627.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    6. Lusine Lusinyan & Leo Bonato, 2007. "Work Absence in Europe," IMF Staff Papers, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 54(3), pages 475-538, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Evangelos C. Alexopoulos & Georgios Merekoulias & Dimitra Tanagra & Eleni C. Konstantinou & Efi Mikelatou & Eleni Jelastopulu, 2012. "Sickness Absence in the Private Sector of Greece: Comparing Shipyard Industry and National Insurance Data," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 9(4), pages 1-11, April.
    2. Matilde Leonor Alba-Jurado & María José Aguado-Benedí & Noelia Moreno-Morales & Maria Teresa Labajos-Manzanares & Rocío Martín-Valero, 2021. "Occupation and Sickness Absence in the Different Autonomous Communities of Spain," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-12, October.
    3. Sjöberg, Ola, 2017. "Positive welfare state dynamics? Sickness benefits and sickness absence in Europe 1997–2011," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 177(C), pages 158-168.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Absenteeism; sickness; EU; Labour Force Survey;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J28 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Safety; Job Satisfaction; Related Public Policy
    • J32 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Nonwage Labor Costs and Benefits; Retirement Plans; Private Pensions
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply

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