Sickness absence falls

A total of 131 million days were lost because of sickness absence in the UK during 2011, a 4% fall on the 2010 figure of 137 million and down more than a quarter from the 178 million days lost in 1993, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Musculoskeletal problems (MSDs), such as back pain and neck and upper limb problems accounted for the most days lost through sickness absence in both of the last two years. Last year such problems accounted for 35 million days lost against 38.3 million in 2010.

Symptomatic of the age of austerity and threats to jobs, absence through stress, depression or anxiety rose by 13% between 2010 and 2011 and 13.3 million days were lost last year against 11.8 million the year before.

Absence related to heart/blood pressure was another category to show a rise. In 2011, 4.5 million days were lost against 2.9 million in 2010.

The average number of days lost due to sickness was 4.5 days per person in 2011 against 4.7 the year before and 7.2 days in 1993.

www.ons.gov.uk/ons/dcp171776_265016.pdf