Marvin OnumonuThe Department for Education’s (DfE) report has revealed that increased school absence is linked to lower future earnings and employment stability.
Data from pupils who took their GCSEs in 2006/07 showed that each additional day of absence resulted in a £750 decrease in potential lifetime earnings.
By age 28, these absences also increased the likelihood of claiming benefits and reduced chances of stable employment.
For instance, students absent between 0% to 1% of their school days earned around £33,000 in 2024 prices, while those absent for 50-51% earned approximately £12,000.
Persistently absent pupils were 2.7 times more likely to rely on benefits, rising to 4.2 times for those severely absent.
The report found that each day missed decreased future earnings by 0.8% and reduced the odds of 12-month sustained employment.
