Impact of diabetes on absenteeism, disability, and medical costs in the U.S. workforce: differences by disease progression and industry.

Park, Sulki; Truong, Chau N; Ali, Rami; Idris, Muinat Abolore; Krause, Trudy M; Perkison, William B · J Occup Environ Med · 2026

retrospective_cohort · Level III

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Abstract

To estimate the impact of type 2 diabetes on absenteeism, disability, productivity loss, and healthcare costs, stratified by diabetes progression and industry. Using 2016-2019 Merative™ MarketScan® databases, we conducted a retrospective analysis of full-time employees: newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes (T2D-New), established type 2 diabetes (T2D-Estab), or without diabetes (T2D-Neg). Per-capita annual productivity loss and healthcare costs were estimated using two-part models adjusted for demographics, industry, and comorbidity. Among 3.8 million U.S. employees, T2D-New and T2D-Estab experienced significantly higher annual productivity loss (+$373.2 and +$140.1) and healthcare costs (+$2160.9 and +$1957.7) compared with T2D-Neg (p<0.001). Total annual costs reached approximately $8,000 per employee with T2D. Patterns were consistent across industries. These findings highlight the workforce impact of diabetes and support the benefit of occupational health and wellness interventions.