The number of German workers who take sick leave has increased by 0.3% in the first half of 2016 compared to the first half of 2015, reaching a record high, reports personaldienstleister.de.,with data published by statutory health insurance DAK health.

The data also shows that overall, more than one in three people in employment, or 37% were on sick leave at least once during this period. At the same time, the average duration of sick days increased from 11.7 to 12.3 days in the first half of 2016.

The data showed that 22% of sick days were attributed to back pain and musculoskeletal disorders, which professional men were “slightly more likely" to suffer from than women. Meanwhile, 17% of sick days were due to respiratory diseases, while mental illness increased to 16% of all sick days.