Sickness absence rates by Dutch industry, 1996–2025. Health and social care remained above the overall average throughout the period, with a clear rise after 2015 and a peak during the COVID-19 years. Dotted lines indicate provisional figures for 2025.
- In 2002, the Gatekeeper Improvement Act made employers and employees more responsible for reducing long-term sickness absence. (Rijksoverheid / UWV, Wet verbetering poortwachter.)
- 2014 was the lowest point, possibly due to economic uncertainty and a mild flu season. (CBS, Trends in Nederland 2015. CBS notes that the low sickness absence in 2014 may be related to the economic situation and concerns about job security, and that the mild flu season in early 2014 also contributed to the low rate.)
- Since 2018, health and social care has had the highest sickness absence of all Dutch industries.
- COVID-19 period, March 2020 – May 2023. (World Health Organization. WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic on 11 March 2020 and announced on 5 May 2023 that COVID-19 no longer constituted a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.)
