Labor Market Participation Before and After Long-Term Part-Time Sickness Absence in Finland: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

Abstract

To examine trends in labor market participation among those with long-term part-time or long-term full-time sickness absence. Finnish population-based cohort study including 3406 individuals with greater than 30-day part-time sickness absence in 2011 and 42,944 individuals with greater than 30-day full-time sickness absence in 2011. Compared to previous years, the rates of sickness absence and vocational rehabilitation increased after 2011 in both groups. Sickness absence rate was higher in 2012 in the full-time sickness absence group than in the part-time sickness absence group. An increasing trend in unemployment after 2011 was observed in both groups, but the absolute level of unemployment was higher in the full-time sickness absence group. Long-term part-time sickness absence seems to mark a decline in labor market participation, but the decline is smaller than that in employees with full-time sickness absence.