News|Articles|September 14, 2026

Endometriosis May be Tied to Annual Lost Wages

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Key Takeaways

Higher productivity losses were observed in endometriosis via greater 4-week absenteeism (12.7 vs 5.7 hours) and elevated presenteeism (47.2% vs 38.4%) compared with women without the condition.
Work Ability Index scores were significantly reduced (27.2 vs 30.3), and poor work ability was far more prevalent (42.0% vs 17.9%), suggesting heightened long-term disability and attrition risk.
Cross-national evidence aligns, with prior multicountry data showing sizeable weekly work losses largely from reduced effectiveness and wide variation in productivity costs by country.
Workplace literacy gaps were prominent, with most employers perceived as minimally informed; menstrual leave, flexible hours, and hybrid/remote options were commonly identified as high-impact supports.
Indirect costs dominate, indicating claims-based accounting likely underestimates burden and framing accommodations as retention/productivity interventions may become increasingly salient for employers and payers.

Endometriosis was found to nearly double absenteeism and work-ability impairment, according to one study.

Women with endometriosis lose an average of €1757 in income each year—roughly a month's average salary in Hungary—driven by higher rates of absenteeism, reduced on-the-job productivity, and diminished overall work ability compared with women without the condition, according to a study published in Preventive Medicine Reports.¹

“The impact of endometriosis is not only a health issue but also a major social and economic one,” Dóra Balogh, assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Semmelweis University and senior author of the study, said in a statement.^{2 “}The condition affects women during one of the most active stages of their lives, meaning it can influence employment, career development, and long-term financial security.”

Absenteeism and Presenteeism Nearly Double

The study compared 566 women with endometriosis with 447 women without the condition, using internationally validated instruments—the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment questionnaire and the Work Ability Index (WAI)—to assess absenteeism, presenteeism, and overall work ability. Women with endometriosis missed an average of 12.7 work hours over a 4-week period because of health-related problems, more than double the 5.7 hours reported by controls. Absenteeism rates were 9.73% among women with endometriosis compared with 5.84% among controls, and presenteeism—reduced effectiveness while on the job—was reported at 47.2% vs 38.4%.

Similar patterns have been documented outside Hungary. A 10-country study of more than 1000 women published in Fertility and Sterility found that women with endometriosis lost an average of 10.8 hours of work weekly, mainly because of reduced effectiveness on the job, with associated weekly productivity costs ranging from $4 in Nigeria to $456 in Italy.³

Nearly Half of Affected Women Report Poor Work Ability

Total mean (SD) WAI scores were significantly lower among women with endometriosis (27.2 [SD], 4.48) than among controls (30.3 [SD], 4.29), and 42.0% of the endometriosis group fell into the "poor" work ability category, compared with 17.9% of controls (P < .01)—a gap the study's authors said signals meaningfully elevated risk of prolonged disability or workforce exit. The authors caution that diagnoses were self-reported and the analysis wasn't adjusted for age, which differed between groups.

"The most surprising finding was that nearly half of the women with endometriosis fell into this category," Dominika Miklós, a resident physician in Semmelweis University's Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and first author of the study, said in a statement.² "Without appropriate support, the condition may not only make day-to-day work more difficult but also threaten women's ability to remain in the workforce over the long term."

Employers Often Uninformed; Menstrual Leave Among Requested Supports

More than half (54%) of respondents said their employer had little or no knowledge of endometriosis, and only 17% felt their workplace was adequately informed about the condition, which affects an estimated 10% of women of reproductive age worldwide and causes chronic pelvic pain, painful periods, fatigue, and, in some cases, infertility. Participants most often cited menstrual leave, flexible work hours, and remote or hybrid arrangements as the supports that would help them most; several European countries, including Spain and Portugal, already permit menstrual leave under certain circumstances.

Because most of the burden documented here comes from absenteeism and presenteeism rather than direct medical spending, standard claims-based cost tracking may understate endometriosis' true impact on a workforce. As more European jurisdictions weigh menstrual leave policy, US managed care organizations and employers may face similar pressure to treat endometriosis-related accommodations as a retention and productivity issue, not just a clinical one.

References

Miklós D, Bokor A, Beretzky Z, et al. Endometriosis as a determinant of work disability in the Hungarian population: quantifying productivity loss and the need for workplace prevention strategies. Prev Med Rep. 2026:66:103501. doi:10.1016/j.pmedr.2026.103501
Women with endometriosis may lose a month’s salary each year. Semmelweis University. News release. August 12, 2026. Accessed September 11, 2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1139806
Nnoaham KE, Hummelshoj L, Webster P, et al. Impact of endometriosis on quality of life and work productivity: a multicenter study across ten countries. Fertil Steril. 2011;96(2):366-373.