A new workforce analysis has revealed a widening gap in illness-related absences between public- and private-sector employees in the United States, with federal workers recording the highest absence rates nationwide.
According to research conducted by ChiefJobs, federal government employees posted an illness absence rate of 3.7% in 2025, significantly higher than the 2.1% recorded across the private sector.
Absence Rates Remain Elevated Post-Pandemic
The study, based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics covering more than 121 million full-time workers, found that illness-related absences have not returned to pre-pandemic levels across most industries.
In fact, nearly every sector saw higher absence rates in 2025 compared to 2019, highlighting a persistent shift in workforce health patterns.
Federal workers showed the sharpest increase among major industries, with absence rates rising 0.8 percentage points since 2019, up from 2.9%.
Public Sector Dominates Highest Absence Rankings
Government roles occupied three of the top five industry positions for illness-related absences:
- Federal government: 3.7%
- State government: 3.0%
- Local government: 2.5%
This clustering suggests systemic challenges in public-sector employment, including higher stress levels, staffing shortages, and greater exposure to public-facing environments.
“The pattern points to something structural rather than isolated,” said ChiefJobs CEO Simon Fabb. “Public sector roles often carry conditions that can drive higher absence rates if not properly addressed.”
Service Roles Hit Hardest Among Occupations
At the occupational level, personal care and service workers recorded the highest absence rate at 3.1%, marking a full percentage point increase since 2019—the largest jump of any job category.
Other high-ranking occupations included:
- Community and social services: 2.8%
- Food preparation and serving: 2.8%
- Healthcare support: 2.8%
- Office and administrative support: 2.8%
These roles often involve direct human interaction, which may contribute to greater exposure to illness and burnout.
Gap Between Public and Private Sectors Widens
The study also highlights a growing divide between sectors. While both public and private employers saw increases in sick leave rates since 2019, the rise in the public sector (+0.5 percentage points) was more than double that of the private sector (+0.2 percentage points).
This divergence suggests that workplace conditions, job demands, and operational structures differ significantly across sectors.
Lowest Absence Rates Found in Utilities and Management
At the opposite end of the spectrum, the utilities sector reported the lowest illness absence rate, at 1.3%, and has even shown a decline since 2019.
Management roles also remained relatively low at 1.5%, though still slightly elevated compared to pre-pandemic levels.
A Signal for Employers
The findings underscore the importance of monitoring workforce health trends and addressing underlying causes of absenteeism.
“A full percentage point increase in some roles indicates deeper issues—whether that’s compensation, working conditions, or staffing pressures,” Fabb noted. “Employers who are not already analyzing their sick leave data should be.”
Outlook
With absence rates remaining elevated across most sectors, the report suggests that post-pandemic workforce recovery is still incomplete. Employers—particularly in the public sector and service industries—may need to reassess policies, staffing models, and employee wellbeing strategies to mitigate long-term productivity risks.
