U.S. Department of Labor U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 

Summary 10-06 / July 2010

Issues in Labor St atistics

BLS

Illness-related work

absences during

flu season

In addition to the many physical difficulties associated with 

a bout of sickness, workers who come down with the flu or 

have a sick family member often must deal with interruptions 

in their regular work schedules. While the Centers for 

Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regularly tracks the 

number of flu cases and the severity of flu seasons in the 

United States each year, data about work absences due to 

seasonal illness are less commonly discussed.

The Current Population Survey (CPS)—the monthly 

household survey that is best known for providing the Nation’s 

unemployment rate—contains questions about the reason 

for a work absence.1

 There are two reason categories listed 

as responses that are related to illnesses affecting either the 

workers themselves or the workers’ family members: “own 

illness, injury, or medical appointment” and “other family or 

personal obligations.”2

 Not everyone who worked a reduced 

schedule for one of these reasons was absent from work 

because of a seasonal illness or sick family member. For 

example, those who reported that their absence resulted 

from other family or personal obligations could have missed 

work to do chores around the house or to go with a child on 

a school field trip. Nevertheless, observing changes in these 

measures over time may shed light on the effect of seasonal 

illnesses on the labor market.3

Chart 1 presents data for workers who normally work full 

3,500

3,000 

2,500

2,000

1,500

1,000

500

0

NOTE: Peak flu season—the months from December through March—are shaded for clarity.

SOURCE: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey.

April

2005

October

2005

April

2006

October

2006

April

2007

October

2007

October

2008

April

2008

April

2009

October

2009

Chart 1. Persons who usually work full time, but worked less than 35 hours during the survey reference week,

by reason for absence, April 2005–March 2010

Numbers in thousands

March

2010

Own illness, injury, or medical appointment

Other family or personal obligations
Issues in Labor Statistics July 2010

Illness-related work absences during flu season

time (35 or more hours per week) but worked less than 35 

hours during the week preceding the survey because of the 

illness-related response categories mentioned previously. 

These data are not seasonally adjusted, so recurring 

seasonal patterns are quite evident. The number of workers 

with an absence due to their own illness, injury, or medical 

appointment shows a regular spike during the months of 

December through March. Although not all absent workers 

who supplied this reason were sick with a cold or the flu, 

it is likely that the increase in absences during the winter 

months is related to the seasonal illnesses that are typical 

during this time of year.4

Although absences due to workers’ own illnesses, 

injuries, or medical appointments regularly increase during 

the winter months, it is not as clear from chart 1 if that 

is also true of those with absences due to other family 

or personal obligations. Table 1 compares the average 

number of absences in April through November with the 

average number in the subsequent period from December 

through March. As with chart 1, the table shows that the 

average level of absence due to a worker’s own illness, 

injury, or medical appointment is consistently higher in the 

winter months than the average level during the previous 

8 months. The average level of absence due to other 

family or personal obligations is also higher during the 

winter months.5

 In contrast, absences as a result of other 

noneconomic reasons—such as vacations or holidays—are 

somewhat lower during the winter months.

Chart 2 shows the percentage of full-time workers with 

an absence due to illness-related reasons, including both 

absences due to a worker’s own illness, injury, or medical 

Table 1. Usual full-time workers who worked 1–34 hours

 by reason, monthly averages, 2005–10

(Numbers in thousands)

Reason for absence April– 

November1

December– 

March 

(peak flu 

season)1

Percent 

change 

during flu 

season 

Total noneconomic reasons

 2005–06 8,595 8,270 -3.8

 2006–07 9,017 8,605 -4.6

 2007–08 8,095 7,796 -3.7

 2008–09 8,383 7,210 -14.0

 2009–102 11,336 8,358 -26.3

 Own illness, injury, or 

 medical appointment

 2005–06 1,823 2,536 39.1

 2006–07 1,695 2,399 41.5

 2007–08 1,747 2,653 51.9

 2008–09 1,722 2,330 35.3

 2009–10 1,591 2,087 31.2

 Other family or personal 

 obligations

 2005–06 710 802 13.0

 2006–07 713 843 18.2

 2007–08 760 825 8.6

 2008–09 699 729 4.3

 2009–10 603 716 18.7

 Other noneconomic reasons

 2005–06 6,062 4,932 -18.6

 2006–07 6,610 5,362 -18.9

 2007–08 5,588 4,318 -22.7

 2008–09 5,962 4,151 -30.4

 2009–102 9,142 5,554 -39.2

1

Averages for each period are calculated by dividing the sum of absences reported 

by the number of months. For example, the average monthly absences in 2005–06 

due to other family or personal obligations April–November was calculated by summing the levels of other family or personal obligations-related absences for April 2005 

through November 2005, then dividing by eight.

2There were two unusual events that affected the data during the 2009–10 period. 

The first occurred in September 2009, when the Labor Day holiday fell within the reference week. Reflecting this rare occurence, those reporting an absence due to holiday 

(legal or religious) was 21.7 million, compared to an average level of 327,000 over the 

prior 4 years. Additionally, in February 2010 there were record breaking snowstorms 

along the eastern seaboard that greatly affected businesses. Although large numbers 

of weather-related absences are not uncommon in the month of February, this exceptionally severe weather caused an unusually large spike in absences.

NOTE: Data are not seasonally adjusted.

2
appointment and other family or personal obligations. During 

the winter, this portion of employed persons regularly rises 

to a high that is close to double the low point from earlier 

that year. These data display the seasonal effect on full-time 

employment that is attributable, at least partially, to healthrelated reasons.

The level of absence due to a worker’s own illness, injury, 

or medical appointment was higher in the winter of 2007–08 

than at any other period covered in this analysis, reaching 

a high of 3.3 million in February 2008. CDC data also show 

that the weekly percentage of patients with influenza-like 

illnesses peaked in mid-February during the 2007–08 

season. Additionally, CDC data show that, according to 

several measures of influenza activity, the 2007–08 season 

was more severe than the previous three seasons.6

While it is difficult to quantify all of the different ways that 

health issues affect the labor market,7

 the CPS absence data 

can provide some measure of the effect that flu season has 

on workers. Further, an examination of changes in these data 

during flu season may be useful in evaluating the impact of a 

widespread illness on the Nation’s labor force.

This Issues paper was prepared by Terence M.

McMenamin, an economist in the Division of Labor Force 

Statistics, Office of Employment and Unemployment Statistics. Email: CPSInfo@bls.gov. Telephone: (202) 691-6378.

Information in this summary will be made available to 

sensory-impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 

(202) 691-5200. Federal Relay Service: 1-800-877-8339. 

This report is in the public domain and may be reproduced 

without permission. ■

Chart 2. Percent of usual full-time workers who worked 1–34 hours due to illness-related reasons,

April 2005–March 2010 

Percent

4.0

3.5

3.0

2.5

2.0

1.5

1.0

0.5

0.0

NOTE: Peak flu season—the months from December through March—are shaded for clarity. Illness-related reasons include 

own illness, injury, or medical appointment and other family or personal obligations.

SOURCE: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey.

April

2005

October

2005

April

2006

October

2006

April

2007

October

2007

October

2008

April

2008

April

2009

October

2009

Issues in Labor Statistics July 2010

Illness-related work absences during flu season 

March

2010

3
Issues in Labor Statistics July 2010

Illness-related work absences during flu season

Notes

1

Absences are defined as instances when wage and salary workers who usually 

work 35 or more hours a week at their main job (usually full time) worked 1–34 

hours during the reference week.

2Other noneconomic reasons for an absence include child care problems, 

school or training, vacation, holiday (legal or religious), bad weather, and other 

reasons. Note that the child care problems response category includes persons 

who specifically mention child care arrangements as a reason for taking time off 

from work. For example, “I had to take time off from work because I could not find 

someone to watch my children on Friday.” Those who stay home to care for a sick 

child should be included in the “other family or personal obligations” category.

3Workers who usually work part time or who were not at work for the entire 

reference week are not included in this analysis. For multiple jobholders, absence 

data refer only to work missed at their main jobs. All self-employed persons are 

excluded, regardless of whether their businesses are incorporated.

4

The CDC report “The Flu Season” shows that peak influenza months are most 

often December through March. On the Internet at http://www.cdc.gov/

flu/about/season/flu-season.htm?wwparam=1263565030

(viewed January 15, 2010).

5 It is possible that the level of absence due to “child care problems” is also 

influenced by illnesses during the winter months. However, due to the small size 

of the sample and associated high levels of sampling variability, it is less clear 

whether such a conclusion could be supported with the available data.

6See “Influenza Activity—United States and Worldwide, 2007–08 Season,” 

MMWR Weekly June 27, 2008 / 57(25); 692–97, on the Internet at http://www.

cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5725a5.htm (viewed May 

3, 2010).

7For example, because the CPS questions refer to 1 week out of each month, 

work absences during the other weeks of the month are not measured.

4