Unemployment rate among women in Hamburg is higher compared to men
The latest health report from the BGF Institute, a leading organisation in health promotion, has highlighted significant differences in sickness patterns between genders among its insured individuals in Hamburg.
According to the report, mental health issues are the third most common reason for sick leave for men, accounting for 11.7% of all sick days. On the other hand, women in Hamburg had a lower sick leave rate in 2024, with 6.92% of days missed due to mental health problems.
Interestingly, men in Hamburg have more sick days due to musculoskeletal diseases like back pain, making up 21.3% of all sick days. However, the number of sick days due to psychological problems among working women insured by AOK Rhineland/Hamburg has increased by over 150% in the past 20 years.
Cardiovascular diseases increase significantly in men aged 50 and above, accounting for 5.7% of sick leave days in men, compared to 3.5% in women. From age 60, men and women miss workdays equally often.
Among all AOK Rhineland/Hamburg insured individuals aged 50 to 59, women have a higher sick leave rate than men (9.06% vs 8.17%). The severity of illness and the duration of recovery increase with age, causing an increase in sick leave with age before levelling off at a similar high rate for both genders among those aged 60 and above (11.52% for men and 11.53% for women).
Depressive episodes led to around 50% more sick days for women than for men in 2024. The number of sick days due to psychological stress has increased for both genders over the past 20 years, with a particularly sharp increase of over 150% for women.
Sabine Deutscher, a member of the board of AOK Rhineland/Hamburg, attributes the higher sick leave rate among women to hormonal changes during menopause, different living and working conditions, and women's role in private care work.
The BGF Institute of AOK Rhineland/Hamburg supports companies in reducing workloads, preventing health risks, and sustainably strengthening the physical and mental health of employees. The Institute's research underscores the importance of gender-sensitive health promotion in the workplace.
However, it is worth noting that the specific reasons for the observed gender disparities in sick leave due to psychological illnesses in Hamburg, as highlighted in the 2024 study by AOK Rhineland/Hamburg, could not be found in the available search results.
General knowledge suggests that gender disparities in sick leave from psychological illness may be due to factors such as higher work-related stress for women due to balancing professional roles with family and caregiving responsibilities, social and workplace factors, including gender-specific expectations and discrimination, and differences in types of employment and occupational exposure to stress.
These points, however, remain informed hypotheses rather than specific explanations without the actual AOK Rhineland/Hamburg 2024 study findings.
