Spain's absenteeism hits record high: 1.7 million workers off each day

Absence rate climbs to 7.68% and employers push back against the cost of sick leave

Spain's absenteeism rate hit 7.68% in 2025, its highest level on record according to Adecco. More than 1.7 million employees are off work every day, and the cost to companies has soared to 17 billion euros. CEOE, Spain's main business association, led by Garamendi, has cried foul and is demanding that sick leave not be paid from the first day. But the data analysis and on-the-ground experiences paint a more complex picture than the simple story of 'skiving'.

Wages that don't cover the basics: the first clue

While real wages have been stagnant for two decades, housing, food and utility prices keep rising. A worker earning today what they earned in 2006 faces rents double those of then and a much more expensive shopping basket. Financial and mental stress is soaring, and mental health sick leave is increasing. The logic is simple: if working barely gets you through the month, the incentive to show up every day erodes.

The demographic factor: older and sicker workers

The average age of employees keeps rising, especially in the public sector. Jobs that used to be done by two people are now handled by one, who arrives more worn down physically. Instead of adapting schedules or reducing hours at a certain age, workers are pushed to retirement. The result: more sick leave due to unavoidable ailments. The public health system, overwhelmed, lengthens waiting times and turns conditions chronic.

Cheap labour: a boomerang for companies

Corporate short-termism that hires the cheapest option regardless of productivity also takes its toll. In sectors like delivery or hospitality, turnover is extremely high. Many workers, especially immigrants in precarious conditions, vanish without notice. Companies complain, but the low-cost hiring model generates instability and absenteeism. The unwritten rule seems to be: either you pay decent wages or you absorb the cost of absences.

And the solution? Split between the stick and the carrot

One side calls for a heavy hand: cutting labour rights, eliminating severance pay and ending 'fraudulent' sick leave. Others argue the problem is systemic: as long as the opportunity cost of working is similar to not working (due to the IMV, Spain's minimum income scheme, or the shadow economy), absenteeism won't fall. And some point out that the mutual insurance companies themselves subject workers on sick leave to near-police harassment, suggesting that 'fraud' isn't as widespread as portrayed. The debate remains open, stuck between data that doesn't match the official narrative.

The full breakdown of how each variable affects the absenteeism rate can be found in the original discussion, with concrete examples from sectors such as Correos (Spain's postal service) and manufacturing.