The surge in rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases is undermining productivity and placing hidden pressure on Europe’s long‑term economic competitiveness.

As Europe grapples with demographic shifts, labour shortages and the imperative to boost productivity, a less‑visible health crisis is gathering pace — one that could undermine growth prospects and strain social models across the continent. Chronic conditions grouped under the umbrella of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) are increasingly affecting Europe’s working‑age population, reducing workforce participation, spiking absenteeism, and threatening competitiveness.

According to the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) and other sector stakeholders, more than 120 million Europeans live with an RMD — including conditions such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, back pain, osteoporosis and lupus. These diseases are not only about pain and immobility: they become a persistent drag on employment, productivity and long‑term economic resilience.

A workforce under silent siege
In many European Union member states, RMDs account for roughly 60 % of all workplace‑related health problems and are the leading cause of work loss and early retirement due to physical disability. With millions of workers experiencing RMDs — and many more in informal caregiving roles for family members with the conditions — the impact is widespread and growing.

One of the most significant implications is the effect on labour supply. Europe already faces major demographic headwinds: an ageing population, shrinking working‑age cohorts and persistently low birth‑rates. On top of that, this hidden health burden reduces the number of fully able workers, curtails hours, increases sick‑leave rates and drives earlier exit from employment.

Productivity and growth at risk
For economies seeking to raise productivity and achieve growth, the implications of widespread RMDs are profound. Workers with chronic musculoskeletal conditions tend to have lower participation, higher rates of part‑time work or early retirement, and they impose extra burdens on social support systems. As the European labour market tightens, every marginal reduction in available, able workers becomes more significant.

Moreover, the costs are not only borne by the individuals affected, but by employers, health systems and social security frameworks. When workers are lost, or cannot perform at full capacity, economic output falls, while health and social care costs rise. The result: a dual hit to both supply and cost‑side of growth.

Disproportionate effects and equity concerns
The crisis also intersects with key policy objectives around inclusion, gender equality and active ageing. RMDs disproportionately affect older workers, women, and individuals with other health conditions — the very groups Europe hopes to mobilise to fill labour‑market gaps. For example, informal caregiving responsibilities for family members with RMDs often fall on women, reducing their employment or advancement potential.

These dynamics pose not just a health challenge, but a social equity and competitiveness issue. If unaddressed, they threaten to roll back advances in workforce participation and may deepen structural economic imbalances across and within member states.

A call for recognition and action
Despite the scale of the problem, RMDs remain under‑recognised in the broader discussion of health, labour and growth policy. Many workforce and economic strategies emphasise skills shortages, automation, migration and digitalisation — but neglect the underlying health of the workforce itself. The recent op‑ed by the MEP interest‑group “MEPs for RMD Action” argues that the RMD burden must be embedded in both health and labour policy frameworks.

Key steps include:

• Measuring the full socio‑economic burden of RMDs, beyond mortality and acute illness, to include productivity loss, early retirement and caregiving costs.
• Integrating workplace prevention, early diagnosis and ergonomic and organisational interventions into both health and employment policy.
• Ensuring flexible work arrangements, accommodations and vocational support for people with RMDs so that they can remain and progress in employment.
• Prioritising research and workforce planning in rheumatology and musculoskeletal healthcare services to meet rising demand.

Strategic urgency for Europe
Given that Europe’s growth model increasingly depends on mobilising untapped labour reserves, sustaining employment among older workers and improving productivity, the hidden drag of RMDs should sound alarm bells. A failure to act risks eroding the competitiveness of economies that assume healthy, participating workforces.

In other words, even as technological transformation accelerates, the human foundation of growth must not be overlooked. RMDs may be silent, but their impact is real — and unless they are brought into the centre‐stage of policy, Europe’s social and economic aspirations may be challenged.

For Tuesday,this is a reminder: the invisible health crisis looming over Europe’s economy is not just about how long people live, but how well they live and whether they can continue contributing to growth. Recognising and responding to the RMD burden is not optional — it is strategic.