---
title: How much does PMS affect women's work performance? | Niyora
description: Most women (65%) reported that their physical work performance decreased 54% of the time due to PMS. They also reported that concentration during mental work
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/productivity-and-pms-1986/
---

- [Niyora](https://niyora.com/)
- [Research](https://niyora.com/research/)
- [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/)
- How much does PMS affect women's work performance?

Survey study, 1986

# How much does PMS affect women's work performance?

Most women (65%) reported that their physical work performance decreased 54% of the time due to PMS. They also reported that concentration during mental work decreased 54% of the time.

 Early or limited evidence

40 women workers

## What they did

Researchers gave 40 women a written questionnaire asking about the effects of PMS on their work performance and concentration.

## What they found

65% of respondents reported that their physical performance decreased 54% of the time due to PMS. Respondents also reported that their level of concentration during mental work decreased 54% of the time because of PMS.

## What it means for you

Many working women experience significant drops in both physical work capacity and mental concentration due to PMS. The study did not measure actual productivity changes. This is a small sample and relied on women's own reports rather than objective measurement.

40

women surveyed

65%

reported decreased performance

54%

of the time affected

## About the study

Original title Productivity and Pms Authors Michael W. Riley, David J. Cochran Journal Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting Year 1986 Study design Survey study Read the paper [doi.org/10.1177/154193128603000924](https://doi.org/10.1177/154193128603000924)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Work and productivity](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-work/)

Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits.

Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor.

## Related studies

Review, 2026

How well do SSRIs treat PMS?

Cohort study, 2026

Is PMS becoming more common and more disabling worldwide?

Systematic review, 2026

Are hormone levels different in women with PMS?

Systematic review, 2026

Do mindfulness and relaxation techniques help with PMS symptoms?

Systematic review, 2026

Why do some women experience mood changes linked to their menstrual cycle?

Randomised trial, 2025

Do essential oils reduce PMS symptoms?

Ask AI about this page

Copy prompt

ChatGPT

↗

Claude

↗

Perplexity

↗

Google AI Mode

↗

Grok

↗