A survey of sickness absence in Eight European countries from 1980 to 2010 (see next post) shows that, contrary to stereotype, for most of this period the Dutch have taken four times as much sick leave as the Italians and Irish.

Women are off sick more than men in every country, but especially in the Netherlands, and the gap is widening in five of the eight countries.

This is not due to increased labour force participation by mothers of small children, and neither can it be explained by changes in the distribution of women and men across occupations or industries.