Labor Market Participation Before and After Long-Term Part-Time Sickness Absence in Finland: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

Objective: To examine trends in labor market participation among those with long-term part-time or long-term full-time sickness absence.

Methods: Finnish population-based cohort study including 3406 individuals with greater than 30-day part-time sickness absence in 2011 and 42,944 individuals with greater than 30-day full-time sickness absence in 2011.

Results: Compared to previous years, the rates of sickness absence and vocational rehabilitation increased after 2011 in both groups. Sickness absence rate was higher in 2012 in the full-time sickness absence group than in the part-time sickness absence group. An increasing trend in unemployment after 2011 was observed in both groups, but the absolute level of unemployment was higher in the full-time sickness absence group.

Conclusion: Long-term part-time sickness absence seems to mark a decline in labor market participation, but the decline is smaller than that in employees with full-time sickness absence.