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Why Are The Sickness Absences So Long In Sweden

Author

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  • Andrén, Daniela

    (Department of Economics, School of Economics and Commercial Law, Göteborg University)

Abstract

Using a sample of 2,789 Swedish residents on working age, this paper analyzes long-term absences from work due to sickness. The database contains all compensated sickness spells in the period January 1986 to December 1991. Earlier studies of work absence due to sickness did not analyze multiple spells of sickness. Moreover, such data requires estimation techniques that were not often used in the previous studies. The analysis is performed using mixed proportional hazard models. The results show that the loss of earnings reduced length of absence, while high regional unemployment increased it. There was more heterogeneity among diagnosis-groups and individual-groups than among regions as groups.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrén, Daniela, 2004. "Why Are The Sickness Absences So Long In Sweden," Working Papers in Economics 137, University of Gothenburg, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:gunwpe:0137
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/2077/2778
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    long-term sickness; absenteeism; multiple spells; unobserved heterogeneity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J20 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - General
    • J30 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - General
    • J70 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - General

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