The British Chamber of Commerce is calling on the UK government to boost productivity by supporting individuals in ill health to return to employment. At a time when Treasury finances are stretched, long-term sickness is costing the state an estimated £130 billion (€149bn) in lost output.
In a report released this week, the BCC noted that “around 7% of the UK workforce, almost 2.8 million people, is currently out of work due to long-term sickness, whereas the equivalent figure in Japan is just 3.5%”.
