OTTAWA The Canadian economy lost $16.6 billion last year due to absenteeism, according to a study by the Conference Board of Canada.

The boards report says that on average, a full-time Canadian worker was absent for 9.3 days in 2011, with the highest absenteeism rates found in the health care and social assistance sectors.

The cost amounted to an average of 2.4 per cent of the gross annual payroll in Canada in 2012.

The report found that the reasons for the absences ranged from illness to long-term leave of absences.

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Those who worked in the public sector were absent for an average 12.9 days, compared to those in the private sector with an average of 8.2 days. unioized workers had an absenteeism rate of 13.2 days, compared with 7.5 days for non-unioized workers.

The report also noted that despite the cost of the absences, only 46 per cent of employers admitted to tracking the number of days workers are absent and the reasons why.