Rolf Gleißner (WKÖ), Christine Mayrhuber (WIFO), Claudia Neumayer-Stickler (DVSV) und Wolfgang Panhölzl (AK) © Enzo Holey

Rolf Gleißner (WKÖ), Christine Mayrhuber (WIFO), Claudia Neumayer-Stickler (DVSV) and Wolfgang Panhölzl (AK) © Enzo Holey

30.06.2026

Absence from Work Report 2026

Focus on the Structure of Sick Leave Relating to the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue

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.

The Absence from Work Report 2026 is conducted annually by the Austrian Institute of Economic Research (WIFO) on behalf of the Federation of Social Insurances (DVSV), the Chamber of Labour (AK) and the Austrian Economic Chamber (WKÖ). It analyses the trends and structure of sick leave among employees in Austria. In this year's Absenteeism Report 2026, in addition to the standard analyses, the report examined the significance of musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders in relation to sick leave patterns.