The U.S. economy is losing $26.6 billion a year due to lost productivity and health expenses resulting from employees who are managing menopause symptoms, according to a new report.

The study from Mayo Clinic, which analyzed responses from over 4,400 women aged 45 to 60, found that nearly 11% reported missing work in the last 12 months due to symptoms like hot flashes and sleep disturbances.

The annual cost for those missed work days is $1.8 billion, not accounting for reduced work hours, employment loss or early retirement. At least 13% of the women surveyed reported they’d experienced at least one of the above outcomes due to symptoms. Meanwhile, direct medical costs related to menopause cost this age group an additional $24.8 billion annually.

Read more at: https://time.com/6274622/menopause-us-economy-women-work/