The Germans were often ill in 2011

DAK: Highest sick leave for 15 years

15.02.2012

In the last year of 2011, Germans were significantly more ill than in the same period last year. Thus, the number of sick leave has reached its highest level in 15 years, as the Health Report 2012 of Deutsche Angestellten Krankenkasse DAK showed.

The number of sick leave has again increased in Germany, reaching its highest level in fifteen years. On average, the sick leave rate was around 3.6 percent in 2011, as the health expert of the health insurance fund, Prof. Dr. med. Herbert Rebscher announced at a press conference on Tuesday. As part of a study, the DAK had evaluated the patient data of 2.4 million sick leave. It turned out that a social insurance employee last year statistically lacked 13.2 days in the workplace due to illness. In the same period last year, Germans were still on sick leave for 12.5 days (3.4 percent). "The number of sick leave increased by 0.2 percentage points to 3.6 percent in the past year, which is the highest level in 15 years, and today every employee is ill for an average of two days a year longer than in 2006."

Responsible for demographic change
According to the expert, the rise in sick leave shows the first effects of demographic change. Due to better medical care, people in Germany are getting older and therefore work longer. Workers today are on average ten years older than in earlier times. While are „On average, older people are less likely to get sick than younger people, but the illness lasts longer“, explained Rebscher. Because demographic change has just begun and people are getting older than they are today, the health expert predicted a further increase in absenteeism in the coming years. Age-related diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease as well as back pain or low back pain will continue to increase and cause a rise in sick leave. Especially as the retirement age is further increased. A few weeks ago, the Federal Employment Agency announced that „the proportion of 60-65 year-olds has almost tripled in the last ten years in terms of total employment.“

Highest sick leave in administration and health care
Insured people were particularly ill in public administration. Here the sick leave was at about 4.2 percent. Almost as often were workers in the health sector (hospitals, care facilities) sick. Here the quota was 4.1 percent. Transport, storage and courier workers reached a 4.0 percent level of illness.

The lowest level of sick leave was recorded in the media, culture and education sector at 2.7 percentage points. Employees in the insurance and finance sector were also spared 3.0 percent. In the lower average, employees in the area of ​​legal advice were 3.1 percent and traders 3.4 percent.

Musculoskeletal disorders most often
Most sick days caused illnesses and back pain in the muscle and skeletal spectrum. The proportion of DAK members insured was 21.3 percent as measured by all days of sick leave. In second place were diseases in the area of ​​the respiratory system (cough, runny nose, flu) with 16.1 percent. Injuries due to accidents accounted for 13.9 percent. Already in fourth place were the mental disorders such as depression or burn-out with 13.4 percent. In fifth place are the diseases in the area of ​​the digestive system such as gastrointestinal flu or abdominal pain (6.0 percent). (Sb)

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Image: Benjamin Thorn