For the first time since 2016, people in the Netherlands have taken fewer sick days than in the previous year. According to new data from Statistics Netherlands (CBS), absenteeism for the second quarter of 2023 was just 5 percent. 

Employees in the Netherlands take five sick days every 100 days

According to the new data, employees in the Netherlands take five sick days for every 100 workdays, totalling 5 percent of the working year. This is lower than the rate last year, when employees were taking around 5,4 percent of days off sick.

In almost every industry, employees in the Netherlands took fewer sick days than they did in the previous year. Absenteeism was also lower in the first quarter of 2023 as well, compared to data from the same period in 2022. 

Healthcare workers taking less time off sick

Workers in the Dutch healthcare system have also taken less time off sick, despite traditionally being the group with the highest rate of absenteeism. On average, healthcare workers took seven days off sick out of 100 workdays in the second quarter of 2023, compared to 7,5 days in the same period for 2022.

Other workers in sectors such as education, logistics and government also have higher rates of absenteeism than the general population, with workers averaging more than five days absent per 100 workdays in the first quarter of 2023.