The number of sickness cases with a stress diagnosis has quintupled in Sweden from 2010 to 2023, according to a new report from the Trade Unions in Welfare.
The welfare sector is overrepresented. Employees in municipalities and regions have the highest sickness absence rates and a high risk of future sickness absences.
Four out of five affected are women.
"Stress-related ill-health is a clear equality issue. It's not a natural law that women-dominated welfare professions should top the sickness absence statistics. This can be changed," says Kommunal's chairman Malin Ragnegård in a press release.
According to the report, the total costs of sickness absence last year were SEK 51.4 billion in municipalities and regions. The figure, which is the highest since 2013 excluding pandemic years, includes costs for production losses.
In addition to Kommunal, the Trade Unions in Welfare include Akademikerförbundet SSR, the Swedish Teachers' Union, Vision, and the Swedish Association of Health Professionals.
