What is the Estimated Economic Cost of Menopause-related Productivity Loss in the Female Workforce, and How Does it Vary Across Industries?

Aadya Shakti Aggarwal

doi:10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i05.57597

What is the Estimated Economic Cost of Menopause-related Productivity Loss in the Female Workforce, and How Does it Vary Across Industries?

Author(s)	Aadya Shakti Aggarwal
Country	India
Abstract	This study examines organizational and economic effects of menopause at work as a health and employment market issue. As a ubiquitous biological event, menopause remains astonishingly invisible to policy and organizational debates even though midlife women continue to be an increasing percentage of the global workforce. The study aims to estimate productivity losses due to menopausal symptoms and explore how they vary across sectors of healthcare, manufacturing, service, and knowledge-based work sectors of employment. Using a qualitative, interpretive research method grounded on health economics, gender studies of work, and organizational behavior, the study synthesizes evidence across global scholarly publications, policy studies, and secondary sources of information. Findings reveal that menopausal symptoms—especially fatigue, cognitive fog, mood changes, and vasomotor disturbances—substantially reduce productivity through absenteeism, presenteeism, and premature workforce exits. Cost-of-illness models indicate billions in annual losses across major economies, while women individually face long-term wage penalties of up to 10% within four years of symptom onset. Sectoral analysis highlights that physical jobs experience higher absenteeism, service roles face emotional strain, and corporate settings suffer from “hidden presenteeism.” The study also presents original survey data showing that 68% of women experience symptoms at work, yet only 26% report employer support, underscoring the persistence of stigma and policy neglect. The study determines that productivity loss due to menopause is a multidimensional issue based on biology and workplace culture. Gender inequities, leadership voids, and unnecessary expenses are reinforced by organizational inaction. Adopting flexible work, health programs, and awareness training can significantly alleviate losses. The article advocates for including menopause as a component of labor and health policy frameworks as a necessary measure for maintaining workforce diversity, gender equilibrium, and economic durability.
Published In	Volume 7, Issue 5, September-October 2025
Published On	2025-10-22
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i05.57597

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What is the Estimated Economic Cost of Menopause-related Productivity Loss in the Female Workforce, and How Does it Vary Across Industries?

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