Overview
- Workers in the Basque Country missed an average of 23.6 workdays last year, versus 19.2 across Spain.
- The region ranks among the highest for absence, alongside the Canary Islands.
- Social Security data compiled by Diario Vasco show the prevalence rate has doubled in a decade to 65.73 per 1,000 workers, with Gipuzkoa at 50.95.
- Companies are buying private cover such as IMQ to get faster tests and treatment so staff return sooner.
- Employers and officials report longer sick leaves in an older workforce and say the losses are eroding productivity and discouraging investment.