In the third quarter of 2022, absenteeism in Spain has risen to 6.7%, although the rate of work accidents has fallen
Instead of declining, the number of fatal accidents during the working day in Spain rose to 194 (+27% year-on-year) in the third quarter of 2022, despite the fact that the number of work accidents fell by 0.5% compared to from last year. This is evident from the quarterly report on absenteeism and occupational accidents of The Adecco Group Institute, which ensures that the absenteeism percentage in our country has risen to 6.7%. In other words, compared to the second quarter of last year, it has grown by 0.1 percentage point, but also 0.1 percentage point more than the same period of the previous year.
It should be noted that absenteeism is not a statistic that is officially published, so the research relies on estimates. Yet, according to Javier Blasco, the director of The Adecco Group Institute, the increase in absenteeism is “due to the significant reduction in effective agreed hours due to the summer holidays.” And it is that although on a general level absenteeism has also increased compared to the third quarter of 2021, it has decreased compared to the previous quarter, something that is common in the summer period. “The usual trend is repeating itself,” says Blasco.
But in addition to the hours of work lost due to vacations and holidays and ERTEs, one of the reasons that causes occasional losses is temporary disability, that is, a common illness or a non-work accident. Therefore, they assure Adecco that it is a “mistake” to equate absenteeism with unjustified absences. And it is that the hours lost for this reason are part of the absenteeism, but not the most important part.
For example, absenteeism due to temporary disability is 5%, according to the report, a figure that is 0.1 percentage point lower than in the previous quarter, but 0.1 point higher than in the third quarter of 2021.
But if this data is at the national level, the Basque Country and Navarre are the regions with the highest absenteeism, and higher compared to previous quarters. For example, in the Basque Country the rate is 9.8% (+1.6 percentage points year-on-year), while in the Basque Country this figure remains at 8.1% (+1.3 percentage points year-on-year). On the other side are the Balearic Islands, with 3.9%, and the Canary Islands, with 5.3%. In addition, the interannual interest rate falls by 0.5 and 1.6 percentage points less, respectively.
Another aspect studied in the report is the situation of occupational accidents in Spain, a variable that is improving overall compared to 2021, but which reflects an increase in incidents during commuting and, above all, an increase of 27% year – year on year in the number of fatal accidents during the working day.
For example, the third quarter 2022 incidence is 234 accident victims per 100,000 inhabitants during working days (-0.5% year-on-year) and 34 for itinere, an increase of 3% compared to 2021 data Yet up to 99.2% of accidents that occur during the working day are minor.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
