Work Absence

This paper investigates whether low levels of absence increase the
probability of permanent employment and reduce that of unemployment for
Swedish temporary workers. We investigate two reasons for absence: worker sickness
and sickness of a dependent child. Using a competing risk estimation model,
we find that sick leave reduces the probability of permanent employment for
women and increases the probability of unemployment for men. Absence due to
child sickness increases the risk of unemployment for women. Although the influence
of sick leave varies substantially among different temporary jobs, replacement
and probation workers are generally the most affected.