The absenteeism rate in the Canary Islands increased by two tenths in the fourth quarter of 2024, closing at 8.4%, according to a report prepared by the temporary employment company Randstad, with data from the Quarterly Labor Cost Survey of the National Institute of Statistics.
Specifically, the Canary Islands recorded an average of almost 27 hours not worked and 11 hours not worked due to temporary disability (TD) in the fourth quarter of 2024. These data add up to nearly five working days that professionals did not show up for work. In Spain, the average is 25 hours not worked and almost 8 hours due to TD.
Despite the increase, the Canary Islands went from being the first community with the most absenteeism in the third quarter of 2024 to being the second, as in the Basque Country absenteeism grew more, to 8.7%, and surpassed the Canary Islands again.
Next, Galicia and Cantabria (7.8%). The lowest levels of absenteeism were in the Balearic Islands (5.7%), Community of Madrid (5.8%), Valencian Community (6.1%), and Andalusia (6.2%).
The autonomous communities where absenteeism has increased the most are La Rioja, eight tenths, to 6.4%; followed by Cantabria, with an increase of six tenths, to 7.8%, and Murcia, with an increase in absenteeism of five tenths, to 7.7%. Only one community has registered a decrease in absenteeism, Extremadura, of six tenths, to 6.4%, while three have not registered any variation: Catalonia (6.9%), Andalusia (6.2%), and Valencian Community (6.1%).
Among the three major economic sectors, at the close of 2024, industry is the sector that concentrates the highest absenteeism, with 7.2% of the total agreed hours, followed by the services sector, with 6.7%, and in third place construction, with 5.6%. In the case of absenteeism due to TD, it has stood at 5.5% in industry, 5.2% in services, and 4.7% in construction.
The more detailed analysis by activities exposes a pronounced difference, since while in some the levels are reduced, others have a large number of hours lost.
Thus, the activities that present the highest absenteeism are Games of chance and betting (11.9%), Postal activities and mail (11.8%), Services to buildings and gardening (11.2%), Assistance in residential establishments (10.6%), and Manufacture of motor vehicles (10.3%).
