The Fact
A Mayo Clinic survey of 4,440 employed women ages 45 to 60 found that 13.4% had at least one bad work outcome because of menopause symptoms, and 11% had missed work because of them. The researchers estimated the cost of lost work days at $1.8 billion a year in the United States, or $26.6 billion a year when medical costs are added.
What This Means
Menopause is not just a private health matter. It reaches into paychecks and workplaces — and most of that cost is being carried quietly by the women themselves.
Sources
- Faubion, Stephanie S., et al. “Impact of Menopause Symptoms on Women in the Workplace.” Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 2023.
- Mayo Clinic News Network. “Mayo Clinic study puts price tag on cost of menopause symptoms for women in the workplace,” April 26, 2023. https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-study-puts-price-tag-on-cost-of-menopause-symptoms-for-women-in-the-workplace