Overview
- HR firm UKG estimates 26.2 million U.S. employees planned to miss work the day after the game, projecting more than $5.2 billion in lost productivity.
- UKG’s forecast draws on a Harris Poll of 1,288 adults conducted Jan. 15–20 and extrapolates using December 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
- UKG reports changing tactics among workers, with roughly 13.1 million preapproved days off, 6.5 million shift swaps, about 3.3 million planned sick calls, and fewer no-notice absences.
- A separate Action Network survey of 3,000 NFL fans projects a smaller impact, estimating 7.63 million taking the day off, another 4.92 million working less productively, and about $1.96 billion in economic cost.
- Local effects are expected to vary, with Betway’s analysis pointing to states like West Virginia as most prone to call-ins and Seattle outlets urging employers to plan staffing as undecided workers make last-minute choices.