© Tero Vesalainen | Dreamstime
Sick At Homedreamstime L 137657769
Sick At Homedreamstime L 137657769
Sick At Homedreamstime L 137657769
Sick At Homedreamstime L 137657769
Sick At Homedreamstime L 137657769

More People had an Illness-related Work Absence in January

Feb. 22, 2022
Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates the number employees who missed work more was at a recent all-time high.

The numbers are in—and they’re concerning.

Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows that in January 2022, about 3.6 million people didn’t work because of an illness, injury or medical problem or appointment.

The BLS notes that the number of workers who are absent or cut back hours regularly spikes form December through March, when cold and flu season peaks.

However, last month stands out because the numbers are the highest they’ve been during the pandemic. January 2022 also saw COVID-19 records shattered with more than 1 million cases reported on a single day in the U.S., largely attributed to the even more contagious and transmissible omicron variant.

Of the 129.7 million people who usually worked full time (defined as 35 hours or more), about 4.2 million (3.3%) were working part time in January 2022 because of an illness, injury or medical problem or appointment. This is one-tenth of a percent below the highest percentage, set in January 1978 with 3.4%.

Work absence data are obtained from the BLS’s Current Population Survey and are not seasonally adjusted.

More information can be found here.

Sponsored Recommendations

3 Essential Elements for a Strong Safety Culture

March 13, 2024
Organizations globally have increased their attention on safety culture: trying to figure out what it really is and the aspects that are necessary to develop and sustain it. And...

Making the Case for Occupational Health Software

March 13, 2024
Deciding to invest in Occupational Health (OH) software can be a challenging leap for many organizations. This article will equip businesses with insightful strategies for effectively...

Fighting the Flu: Solutions for the Workplace

March 13, 2024
Seasonal flu continues to wreak considerable havoc both on individual wellness, as well as on our business continuity and productivity. Explore these solutions for protecting ...

Preventing SIFs with Digitization: Reduce Serious Injuries and Fatalities with Technology

March 13, 2024
This eBook discusses the origins of SIF prevention, outlines principles, models and tools available to EHS leaders to better detect and address SIF potential in their business...

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of EHS Today, create an account today!