In 2023, people in the Rhine and Ruhr region were absent from work due to illness more frequently than ever before. AOK Rheinland/Hamburg has calculated a record sickness rate of 7.18% for this region and thus also for major cities such as Cologne, Essen and Düsseldorf. Insured employees were on sick leave for an average of 26.21 days. In 2022, this figure was 25.52 days. The rise is mainly due to an increase in infections and mental illnesses.
The record sickness rate of 7.18 percent in 2023 means that on average more than 7 in 100 employees were absent from work every day. In the previous year, the sickness rate was 6.99 percent and ten years ago, in 2014, it was 5.57 percent. Along with the sickness rate, the number of sickness certificates (AU cases) has also risen again – from 2.15 per employee in 2022 to 2.38 in 2023.
More information can be found on the AOK Rheinland/Hamburg website.