One in five working age people were out of work, and not seeking work, according to the report, which was commissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions but produced independently. <\/p>\n
Without intervention, another 600,000 people could leave work due to health reasons by the end of the decade.<\/p>\n
Sir Charlie said sickness cost employers \u00a385bn a year through issues including lost productivity and sick pay, but it also cost the broader economy.<\/p>\n
“Work is generally good for health and health is good for work,” he told BBC Breakfast.<\/p>\n
He added that the rise in sickness was being driven by a “surge” in mental health issues among young people and muscular skeletal issues, aches and joint pain in older people that was leading them to leave work.<\/p>\n
“For employers, sickness and staff turnover bring disruption, cost and lost experience,” he said. “For the country, it means weaker growth, higher welfare spending and greater pressure on the NHS.”<\/p>\n
The state spends \u00a3212bn per year on illness-related inactivity, or nearly 70% of income tax, through lost output, increased welfare payments and additional burdens on the NHS.<\/p>\n