Table 4 Sickness absence at baseline and employment status in 1997 and 2000 among temporary and permanent employees whose job terminated by 1997 (n = 4525)*.

	1997/2000, n	Mean sickness absence days/person‐year 1996	Employment status 1997						Employment status 2000
			Unemployed			Disability pension			Unemployed			Disability pension
			n	%	(95% CI)	n	%	(95% CI)	n	%	(95% CI)	n	%	(95% CI)
16–40 year olds
Women
Temporary
Low absence†	1617/1595	2.3	222	14	(12–15)	0	0		126	8	(7–9)	0	0
High absence‡	544/539	60.1	122	22	(19–26)	4	1	(0–2)	73	14	(11–17)	7	1	(1–3)
Permanent
Low absence†	284/284	1.9	14	5	(3–8)	1	0	(0–2)	10	4	(2–6)	2	1	(0–3)
High absence‡	102/101	92.1	9	9	(4–16)	5	5	(2–11)	9	9	(4–16)	3	3	(1–8)
Men
Temporary
Low absence†	624/622	1.5	95	15	(13–18)	3	0	(0–1)	37	6	(4–8)	3	0	(0–1)
High absence‡	98/98	52.7	28	29	(20–38)	3	3	(1–9)	21	21	(14–31)	3	3	(1–9)
Permanent
Low absence†	99/99	2.0	6	6	(2–13)	2	2	(0–7)	3	3	(1–9)	2	2	(0–7)
High absence‡	33/33	100.7	7	21	(9–39)	4	12	(3–28)	6	18	(7–35)	5	15	(5–32)
41–54 year olds
Women
Temporary
Low absence†	319/319	2.2	74	23	(19–28)	5	2	(1–4)	56	18	(14–22)	5	2	(1–4)
High absence‡	131/128	78.4	41	31	(23–40)	7	5	(2–11)	31	24	(17–33)	13	10	(6–17)
Permanent
Low absence†	143/140	3.0	11	8	(4–13)	5	3	(1–8)	6	4	(2–9)	6	4	(2–9)
High absence‡	156/154	189.7	17	11	(6–17)	54	35	(27–42)	14	9	(5–15)	56	36	(29–44)
Men
Temporary
Low absence†	125/124	1.9	48	38	(30–47)	2	2	(0–6)	27	22	(15–30)	3	2	(1–7)
High absence‡	31/31	73.8	17	55	(36–72)	3	10	(2–25)	6	19	(7–36)	4	13	(4–29)
Permanent
Low absence†	79/79	1.3	10	13	(6–22)	8	10	(4–19)	5	6	(2–14)	9	11	(5–21)
High absence‡	77/77	210.2	10	13	(6–22)	37	48	(37–60)	8	10	(5–19)	36	47	(35–58)

Statistically significant differences between absence categories at p level <0.05 shown in bold.

*Group values for “others” (re‐employed, homemakers, students, and dead) not shown. Missing data (n = 63 in 1997; n = 101 in 2000).

†Low absence 0–15 sickness absence days per person‐year in 1996.

‡High absence: >15 sickness absence days per person‐year in 1996.