NAV: Highest sick leave since 2009

In total, sick leave increased from 6.7 per cent in 2023 to 6.8 per cent in 2024. It is the same level as in 2009, and before that we have to go back to 2003 to find a higher level.

However, sick leave fell slightly in the fourth quarter.

– It is very good news that sick leave fell towards the end of last year after a long period of increase. Although we still ended up at a high level for 2024 as a whole, it can at best mean that we have put the top behind us, says NAV Director Hans Christian Holte in a press release.

Fell in the fourth quarter

According to Statistics Norway (Statistics Norway), seasonal sick leave decreased by 0.3 percentage points to 6.6 per cent in the fourth quarter 2024.

– Sickness absence in the fourth quarter was the lowest we have seen in 2024, but a total of 2024 the sickness absence stays at the same level as in 2022 and 2023, says section manager Tonje Køber at Statistics Norway.

Both self-reported sick leave fell at the end of the year to 1 and 5.6 per cent, seasonally adjusted figures from their sickness absence statistics show.

Self -reported sickness absence dropped the most, by 7.0 per cent, while the medical report decreased by 3.3 per cent.

Sickness absence was 8.4 per cent for women and 5.1 for men in the fourth quarter last year.

– Sickness absence went down for both genders in all industries, says Køber.

Flattening in mental disorders

NAV Director Hans Christian Holte says that there was a particular reduction in sickness absence with respiratory diseases in the fourth quarter in 2024, compared to 2023. Sickness absence with other diseases remained either stable or had a slight decline in the fourth quarter last year

NAV's medical figures are not seasonally adjusted.

– In addition, it is a happy news that sick leave with mental disorders flattened out in the fourth quarter, after increased a lot over a long time, says Holte.

40 million lost day jobs

In 2024, 39.9 million day jobs were lost as a result of sick leave, according to Statistics Norway. There are about a million more day jobs than in 2023.

-We see that the lost daycases have stabilized at a higher level in the period 2022-2024 compared to before the pandemic in 2015-2019, says Køber.

At the same time, the number of lost day jobs in the fourth quarter last year – 9.75 million – was lower than in the other quarters.

BRENNA: – sick leave must be dosed properly

Labor Minister Tonje Brenna (Ap) says that the decline in sick leave at the end of last year is positive.

– Sickness absence needs even more down, and it requires joint efforts. We have just put in place a new IA agreement with more powerful efforts to reduce sick leave. The agreement will mean something to everyone, in each workplace, says Brenna.

She says that everyone with sick leave should now be followed up better by both the GP and the employee, in addition to the employee actively helping to find solutions in the workplace.

– Sick leave is a treatment that must be dosed properly. I am worried that we are sending many in solitude when people really need fellowship. Contact with the workplace is important, and for many work is good for health, says Brenna.

Right: Absence crisis under the Støre government

The right -wing work policy spokesperson, Henrik Asheim, is not as pleased.

– While other countries have reduced sick leave after the pandemic, it has continued to increase in Norway. At the Støre government's guard, Norway is in an absence crisis where people are pushed out of working life in record speed, says Asheim.

He believes that Brenna has talked a lot, but acted little, to reduce sick leave.

– The right wants graded sick leave to become an absolute rule and that employers should have greater incentives to reduce long -term sick leave, against paying less for short -term sick leave. We can and must take steps to reduce sick leave and dropout from working life.