Public Health Seen as Key Factor in Sick Leave Increase

65% of people in Catalonia believe the rise in sick leave is due to worsening general health, according to the latest 'Òmnibus' survey published on Friday 13th November 2026 by the Centre d'Estudis d'Opinió (CEO), the official opinion research body of the Generalitat. Of those surveyed, 24% fully agree and 41% somewhat agree with the statement that "the worsening of general health explains the increase in sick leave." Conversely, 22% somewhat disagree and 11% fully disagree, while 2% did not respond. The data comes from the second and final wave of the 2026 Òmnibus survey, conducted between 29th June and 7th September among 1,741 residents aged 16 and over, with a margin of error of ±2.31 percentage points.

Mixed Views on AI in the Workplace

The same survey explored attitudes toward artificial intelligence (AI) in the labour market. 46% of respondents viewed AI’s impact positively, rating it between 6 and 10 on a 0–10 scale, with the average score at 5.3. Within that group, 20% gave ratings between 8 and 10, and 26% scored it between 6 and 7. Another 24% gave a neutral rating of 5. Meanwhile, 30% expressed negative perceptions, 15% scoring 0 to 2, and another 15% scoring 3 to 4. The survey was administered online to 1,537 participants (88.3%) and on paper to 204 (11.7%). Full results, including statistical tables and microdata, are available on the CEO website.

Other Findings Include Public Awareness of New Primary Care Roles

The Òmnibus survey also found that 57% of Catalans are unaware of the recent integration of new health professionals, such as community emotional wellbeing leads, dietitians, physiotherapists, and hygienists, into primary care centres. Only 41% said they were aware of these additions. Among those who participate in group activities led by these professionals, 37% identified the community emotional wellbeing lead as the organiser, followed by physiotherapists (36%) and dietitians or nutritionists (23%).

Sources: Generalitat de Catalunya, Generalitat de Catalunya, redaccionmedica.com.

The Generalitat de Catalunya published its own press note on this.