In the second quarter of 2011, 6 million 556 thousand people aged 15-64 years (16.5% of the population of this age group) claim to be suffering from one or more longstanding health problems or functional difficulties.
Health problems represent a barrier to the inclusion in the labour market. More than 50% of those suffering from more than one health problem or functional difficulties is inactive, this share decreases significantly among those who complain about one problem or difficulty (39.9%) and no problem (35.5%).
38.9% (2 million and 549 thousand) of people who have health problems or functional difficulties declares to have limitations at work due by poor health conditions: one million 708 thousand people feel limited in the number of weekly working hours that they can work; 2 million 347 thousand in the type of work; approximately one million in getting to and from work.
Nearly half of the inactive between 15 and 64 years with health problems or difficulties complains at least one functional limitation when carrying out a job caused by the own health status, compared to 28.5% of persons employed.
Among persons employed who complain of poor health conditions, about one in 10 may rely on one or more types of assistance in their place of work: availability of special equipment or workplace adaptations, personal service, special working arrangements. Among people who do not have a job, however, more than a quarter (26.6%) would need to receive at least one type of assistance in order to work.
Over a million and half people with health problems or functional difficulties (24.2% of the population aged 15-64 in the same conditions) reported having at least one limitation, different from health problems, when carrying out work. Among them, around one million people (30.5% of the population with the same characteristics) complain more than one health problems or functional difficulties, while 540,000 declare only one (17.3%). The share is much lower among people who do not report health problems: 2 million and 617 thousand individuals that represent 8.7% of the population aged 15-64 who do not report health problems.
For information
Socio-demographic and environmental statistics
Carlo Lucarelli
calucare@istat.it
ph. +39 06 4673.4565