Status: 03/14/2023 12:48 p.m
In 2022, flu, corona and bronchitis led to the highest level of sick leave in Germany since reunification. According to a study, this has cost the economy up to 42 billion euros.
In the past year, sick leave has skyrocketed to the highest level since reunification. According to a study by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW), it climbed from a good 68 hours per employee in 2021 to a good 91 hours. This is costing the German economy dearly.
As the IfW has calculated, the loss of work is likely to have cost around 27 to 42 billion euros. Gross domestic product (GDP) could have increased by between 2.5 and 2.9 percent instead of 1.8 percent.
Increase in respiratory infections
The main causes were respiratory infections and colds. “The extraordinarily high level of sick leave in the past year is likely to have weighed heavily on the German economy in addition to the energy crisis,” said IfW labor market expert Dominik Groll.
In 2023, growth could therefore be somewhat higher, provided that sick leave decreases again in the current year. According to the IfW forecast, GDP this year will be slightly above that of 2022.
Loss of work is compensated in part
According to the IfW, increased sick leave does not have a one-to-one impact on value creation. Some of the consequences are offset by overtime by healthy employees. Another part of the loss of work is made up for by the sick themselves after recovery, according to the researchers.
In addition, in both cases increased labor productivity is likely due to increased work intensification, so that more work is generated per hour.