In the Fog of COVID

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has released the 2020 summary of fatal occupational injuries. Unfortunately, it has ignored the COVID cases that are occupationally related.

Workplace Deaths Rise

Work is getting more dangerous in the US. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports, there were 5,250 fatal work injuries recorded in the United States in 2018, a 2 percent increase from the 5,147 in 2017. 

Employer-reported non-fatal injury and illness rate unchanged in 2018

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the rate of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses among private industry employees was unchanged for the first time since 2012 at 2.8 cases per 100 full-time equivalent workers in 2018. Workers in private industry incurred 2.8 million injuries or illnesses in 2018.

Fatal occupational injuries decrease slightly

There were a total of 5,147 fatal work injuries recorded in the United States in 2017, down slightly from the 5,190 fatal injuries reported in 2016, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.  The fatal injury rate decreased to 3.5 per 100,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers from 3.6 in 2016.

BLS Press Release: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cfoi.nr0.htm

The Workplace is Getting Safer - The Future of Workers' Compensation

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics has confirmed the steady decline in accidents and injuries on the job. They have declined for 14 years. This data mirrors the steady decline of workers' compensation claims and the change of the US workplace from a manufacturing to service. 

US BLS Reports: Deaths on the Job Soar

There were a total of 5,190 fatal work injuries recorded in the United States in 2016, a 7-percent increase from the 4,836 fatal injuries reported in 2015, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.

US DOL: Workplace Injuries Continue Their Downward Trend

The US Department of Labor reported today that were approximately 2.9 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses reported by private industry employers in 2016, which occurred at a rate of 2.9 cases per 100 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See www.bls.gov/web/osh/summ1_00.xlsx and www.bls.gov/web/osh/summ2_00.xlsx.) Private industry employers reported nearly 48,500 fewer nonfatal injury and illness cases in 2016 compared to a year earlier, according to estimates from the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII).

Employer-Reported Workplace Injuries and Illnesses Continue to Decline

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)  has reported that there were approximately 2.9 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses reported by private industry employers in 2015, which occurred at a rate of 3.0 cases per 100 equivalent full-time workers.

FATAL OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES INCREASED in 2015

A total of 4,836 fatal work injuries were recorded in the United States in 2015, a slight increase from the 4,821 fatal injuries reported in 2014, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.

This release marks the first time that the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) has published a single, annual release with no revisions and will be the only release for 2015 CFOI data. A similar schedule will be followed in future years. 

Preliminary releases, which appeared in August or September in past years, will no longer be produced. 

Key findings of the 2015 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries: 

- Annual total of 4,836 fatal workplace injuries in 2015 was the highest since 5,214 fatal injuries in 2008. 

- The overall rate of fatal work injury for workers in 2015, at 3.38 per 100,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers, was lower than the 2014 rate of 3.43. 

- Hispanic or Latino workers incurred 903 fatal injuries in 2015—the most since 937 fatalities in 2007. 

- Workers age 65 years and older incurred 650 fatal injuries, the second-largest number for the group since the national census began in 1992, but decreased from the 2014 figure of 684. 

- Roadway incident fatalities were up 9 percent from 2014 totals, accounting for over one-quarter of the fatal occupational injuries in 2015. 

- Workplace suicides decreased 18 percent in 2015; homicides were up 2 percent from 2014 totals. - Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers recorded 745 fatal injuries, the most of any occupation. 

- The 937 fatal work injuries in the private construction industry in 2015 represented the highest total since 975 cases in 2008. 

- Fatal injuries in the private oil and gas extraction industries were 38 percent lower in 2015 than 2014. 

- Seventeen percent of decedents were contracted by and performing work for another business or government entity in 2015 rather than for their direct employer at the time of the incident.

Employer-reported injury and illness rate declined to 3.0 cases per 100 workers in 2015

Employer-Reported Workplace Injuries and Illnesses – 2015 There were approximately 2.9 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses reported by private industry employers in 2015, which occurred at a rate of 3.0 cases per 100 equivalent full-time workers, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See tables 1 and 2.) The 2015 rate continues a pattern of declines that, apart from 2012, occurred annually for the last 13 years.

Fatal Occupational Injuries - 2014

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Why are there revisions to the jobs numbers?

Workers' Compensation premiums are usually estimated based on anticipated payroll numbers. As those change so does the cost of workers' compensation premiun costs. Basically they are both subject to retroactive audits to verify accuracy. Today's post was shared by BLS-Labor Statistics and comes from www.bls.gov

Why are there revisions to the jobs numbers?

By Thomas Nardone, Kenneth Robertson, and Julie Hatch Maxfield

At the beginning of each month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports the change in payroll employment for the previous month. This estimate of jobs gained or lost over the month is closely watched by policymakers and those who work in financial markets and the media.

When the estimate is revised in subsequent months, however, data users sometimes perceive a very different picture of the job market than what was initially reported. Data users frequently ask why the number was revised. The short answer is, the revised estimate includes additional information that was not available at the time of the initial release information that makes the revised estimate more accurate.

This Beyond the Numbers article explains the data collection process that BLS conducts every month to produce the estimate of U.S. employment change. The article will also clarify why BLS releases revisions to the initial release, so that users will better understand the change, if any, in the data.

Jobs....a long way to go

The workers' compensation market/business is dependent on employment. The newly released statistics, while appearing encouraging, might not be so after all.

Despite today's promising numbers report from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, some believe that the US has a very long way to go to get to full employment. Repeating the golden years is a very difficult road.

I commented a few years ago (Is The Recovery Of The Workers’ Compensation System An Illusion?) that workers' compensation is not necessarily anti-cyclical, ie. does not necessarily do better in down markets. That has been reflected in decreased manufacturing and insurance carrier insolvencies.