Although the number of days of compensated sick leave peaked from 2020 to 2022, a sharp increase had already been observed since 2019, excluding the coronavirus epidemic, according to Drees.
- Between 2019 and 2023, the trend increase in the volume of sick leave increased, “beyond the jolts recorded from 2020 to 2022 linked to the health crisis”, with an increase of 3.9% per year.
- Although it concerns all categories of employees, an increase in stoppages is particularly observed among older employees, women, and recently, the youngest.
- In 2023, after having increased significantly during the years 2020 to 2022, the number of days of compensated sick leave has stabilized, while remaining at a much higher level than that of 2019.
Around 10.2 billion euros. This is the amount paid for compensated days in France last year. To obtain these figures, the Department of Research, Studies, Evaluation and Statistics (DREES) and the National Health Insurance Fund (CNAM) analyzed the evolution of sick leave according to age, gender and sector of activity of private sector and civil service contract employees between 2010 and 2023. “The data only relates to stops giving rise to compensation from Health Insurance and does not include stops of 3 days or less subject to a waiting period.”
Sick leave: an increase of 3.9% in days compensated per year between 2019 and 2023
The trend increase in the volume of sick leave increased between 2019 and 2023, with an increase of 3.9% per year, i.e. “beyond the upheavals recorded from 2020 to 2022 linked to the health crisis”. According to the studythis ascending pre-crisis trend is linked to the dynamics of employment and the aging of the active population, but it is also the mark of an increase in claims (in recourse rate and duration) at age given. However, the accentuation of the increase recorded between 2019 and 2023 is mainly due to a stronger increase than before in recourse rates. “The sharp increase in the amounts of days compensated from 2022 is also explained by several exceptional increases in the minimum wage since October 2021 following inflation. These increases especially benefit the youngest.”
According to the results, the increase in the total number of days compensated concerns all categories of employees. Over the period 2019-2023, the increase in the recourse rate is also very marked for the youngest age groups. Since 2010, sick leave has increased among men and women, but more significantly for the latter. This increasing loss rate among women is observed at all ages. “It can only be explained in very small part by the increase in their participation in the labor market, because this increase is much slower than that of their sick leave.”
60% of the amounts paid for sick leave due to work accidents and occupational illnesses
In 2023, the number of days of compensated sick leave has stabilized, after having increased sharply from 2020 to 2022, but while remaining at a much higher level than that of 2019. Last year, leaves for accidents work and occupational illnesses represented 60% of daily allowance expenses, “while expenditure devoted to maternity and adoption leave (2.7 billion euros) is stabilizing in a context of falling birth rates”.
