Spain is living A worrying phenomenon: Labor casualties have reached a new historical maximum in 2024, marking a trend that marks its fourth year up and does not seem to be. Demographic aging, saturation of health or improving employment figures are the main suspects.
Record in work casualties due to illness. The increase in Low for temporary disability It is not only a perception of entrepreneurs, but a reality backed by Official security data Social of 2024 that has just been published.
According to The published by The countrySocial Security records reveal that the average prevalence of temporary disabilities for common contingencies (those not directly related to the work) reached its highest historical percentage: 53.3 per 1,000 employees in 2024. That of autonomous professionals is 39.8 per 1,000 employees.
A high cost for the economy. According to the report ‘Labor absenteeism for common contingencies’ Prepared by the employer Asedas and the association of mutual accidents at work (AMAT), in Spain in 2024 8,716,663 casualties for diseases and non -work accidents occurred, which meant a cost of more than 28,987 million euros in social security benefits of social security and direct cost for companies. This expense has increased by 99% in the last six years.
The average time that a worker remains medical leave due to temporary disability is 39.2 days by professional contingencies (those directly related to work activity), while for self -employed professionals it increases to 106.5 days.
The aging of the workforce. One of the main reasons behind this increase in medical casualties due to common contingencies is the general aging of the population and, with it, a greater tendency to get sick. According to data from the Employers of Mutual Amat, more than half of the work casualties occur in the 31 to 51 -year section.
The INE data They point out that more than 35% of workers in Spain are 50 years or older and ‘Study on the aging of the templates in the General State Administration and future projection at 2030’ It points to that in 2023, the peak of the demographic pyramid will reach the strip between 50 and 60 years. According to data of The independentif we compare the current 50 and 60 -year -old strip with that of 2002, it has increased by 169%, while the segment of between 16 and 24 years has fallen 36%, and the one aged 25 to 34 has done 20%.
The collapse of public health. The worsening of public health also directly affects the resolution of the casualties due to temporary disability, since, in many occasions, these casualties are lengthened more than necessary by waiting lists in diagnostic tests and surgical interventions.
The official data of the Ministry of Health of December 2023 (the last available) indicate that Spain registered a record of 849,535 people in surgical waiting lists. This figure represents almost twice as many people in this comparative situation With the data of 20 years ago. The average waiting time for surgery (in 2023) was 128 days, which practically double the 77 days of 2003.
Mutuals can help. The increase in labor casualties not only affects workers, but also a significant blow to the Companies productivity. Unions, employers and social security They have reached agreements so that mutuals have a greater prominence with the aim of decongesting the waiting lists of public health.
This public-private collaboration frame is intensified mainly in casualties due to temporary disability with traumatic pathologies, in which mutuals achieve expedite tests and treatments necessary reducing the medical leave time and saving several billions of euros to companies and social security.
Image | Social Security, Unspash (Owen Beard)
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