Workers' Compensation: Workplace Injuries Hit Historic Low

Bureau Of Labor Statistics Shows Dramatic Workplace Injury Decline in 2024

The latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals a watershed moment for workplace safety and workers’ compensation: private industry employers reported just 2.5 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in 2024, marking the lowest figure since the data series began in 2003. For workers’ compensation insurers, claims administrators, and employers alike, this 3.1% year-over-year decline signals significant shifts in both claim frequency and cost dynamics.

The COVID-19 Factor: A Game Changer for Claims

The most dramatic change driving this historic low stems from respiratory illness cases, which plummeted 46.1% to 54,000. This steep decline in COVID-19-related claims removes a substantial burden from workers’ compensation systems that spent the past several years processing pandemic-related cases. Healthcare support occupations, which experienced COVID-19 claim rates of 32.4 cases per 10,000 workers during 2023-2024, saw particularly notable improvements.

Total illness cases decreased 26% to 148,000, the lowest since 2019. For workers’ comp carriers and third-party administrators, this translates to fewer complex medical management cases and lower administrative costs associated with illness claims, which typically require more extensive documentation and medical oversight than straightforward injury cases.

Claim Severity: The Other Side of the Coin

While claim frequency dropped, the severity metrics tell a more nuanced story. During the 2023-2024 period, cases requiring days away from work (DAFW) resulted in a median of 8 days of lost time. However, cases involving only job transfer or restriction showed a median of 15 days—nearly double the DAFW median. This suggests that, while fewer claims are occurring, those that do materialize may involve extended modified-duty arrangements.

Understanding these patterns is crucial for claims reserves and for planning return-to-work programs. The data reveal that 61.5% of all DART cases (days away from work, job restrictions, or transfers) involved time away from work, while 38.5% involved job modifications. This split has significant implications for claim costs, as modified duty programs can reduce indemnity expenses while maintaining workforce productivity.

Industry-Specific Implications

Several sectors showed notable improvements in their total recordable case (TRC) rates:

Healthcare and Social Assistance: Despite historically high rates, this sector’s TRC rate decreased from 3.6 to 3.4 cases per 100 FTE workers. Given healthcare’s disproportionate share of workers’ comp claims, this reduction could meaningfully impact overall claim volumes.
Information Sector: Achieved the lowest TRC rate at 0.7 cases per 100 FTE workers, down from 1.0 in 2023.
Manufacturing, Retail Trade, and Real Estate: All reported decreases, contributing to the overall downward trend.

Remarkably, no industry sector experienced an increase in TRC rates during 2024—an unprecedented achievement suggesting widespread adoption of safety improvements across the economy.

Event and Exposure Analysis: Where Claims Originate

The 2023-2024 data reveal critical insights about claim causation. The leading causes of DART cases were:

1. Overexertion, repetitive motion, and bodily conditions: 946,290 cases

2. Contact incidents: 860,050 cases

3. Falls, slips, and trips: 721,720 cases

Notably, exposure to harmful substances and environments showed the highest rate of cases requiring days away from work, with 87.6% of these cases necessitating time off. This suggests these claims tend to be more severe and potentially more costly for workers’ compensation systems.

What This Means for Workers’ Compensation

Premium Implications: The sustained decrease in claim frequency should put downward pressure on workers’ compensation insurance premiums. With the TRC rate at a historic low of 2.3 cases per 100 FTE workers, actuarial models will likely reflect reduced expected losses.
Medical Management: The sharp decline in respiratory illness claims frees up medical management resources to focus on traditional injury types. The median 8-day lost time for DAFW cases suggests opportunities for early intervention programs to reduce disability duration.
Return-to-Work Programs: With 38.5% of DART cases involving job modifications rather than full-time away, robust return-to-work programs become even more valuable. The 15-day median for job transfer or restriction cases indicates extended periods of light duty that require careful management.
Healthcare Workers: Despite improvements, healthcare support occupations continue showing elevated claim rates. Workers’ comp carriers serving healthcare clients should maintain specialized medical management protocols and targeted safety programs for this high-risk population.

Looking Ahead

The BLS will release fatal injury data on February 19, 2026, providing additional context for comprehensive workplace safety analysis. Meanwhile, the current data suggests a positive trajectory for workers’ compensation systems: fewer claims, improved safety across all sectors, and the normalization of pandemic-related illness claims.

For employers, this data reinforces the value of continued investment in safety programs. For insurers and claims administrators, it provides a foundation for more accurate pricing and reserving. And for injured workers, it reflects an overall safer work environment—the ultimate goal of any workers’ compensation system.

Data Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) 1/22/2026

For More Information:

BLS Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities Program: https://www.bls.gov/iif

Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses Handbook: https://www.bls.gov/opub/hom/soii/home.htm

Interactive Data Tools: https://www.bls.gov/web/osh.supp.toc.htm

*Jon L. Gelman of Wayne, NJ, is the author of NJ Workers' Compensation Law (West-Thomson-Reuters) and co-author of the national treatise Modern Workers' Compensation Law (West-Thomson-Reuters).

Blog: Workers' Compensation

LinkedIn: JonGelman

LinkedIn Group: Injured Workers Law & Advocacy Group

Author: "Workers' Compensation Law" West-Thomson-Reuters

Mastodon:@gelman@mstdn.social

Blue Sky: jongelman@bsky.social