Absence from Work Report 2026

In 2025, 69.1 percent of employees in Austria were affected by sickness-related absences. On average, they spent 14.7 calendar days on sick leave, resulting in a loss of 4.0 percent of annual working time. This represents a decrease of 2.7 percent compared with the previous year. On average, a period of sick leave lasted 9.1 days, although there is considerable variation in the duration of sick leave across different disease groups. Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue have been among the most significant causes of sick leave in Austria for years. Analyses on this group of conditions show that around one-fifth of employees suffer from disorders of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue. Those affected take 33.4 days' sick leave over the course of a year, compared with 19.3 days for other patients. Treatment options are available to only a small number of people.