11/08/2023 News Release: Employer-Reported Workplace Injuries and Illnesses--2021-2022
For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Wednesday, November 8, 2023 USDL-23-2359
Technical information: (202) 691-6170 • IIFSTAFF@bls.gov • www.bls.gov/iif
Media contact: (202) 691-5902 • PressOffice@bls.gov
EMPLOYER-REPORTED WORKPLACE INJURIES AND ILLNESSES - 2021-2022
(NOTE: This release was reissued on November 9, 2023, due to an error in table 6. The count and
annualized incidence rate for educational services for “other diseases due to viruses, not elsewhere
classified” were incorrect. The table has been corrected.)
Private industry employers reported 2.8 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in 2022, up 7.5
percent from 2021, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. This increase is driven by the rise
in both injuries, up 4.5 percent to 2.3 million cases, and illnesses up 26.1 percent to 460,700 cases. (See
chart 1). The increase in illnesses is driven by the rise in respiratory illness cases, up 35.4 percent to
365,000 cases in 2022. (See chart 2). This comes after a decrease in respiratory illnesses in 2021
compared to 2020. These estimates are from the Survey of Occupational Injuries and illnesses (SOII).
(Charts 1 and 2 appear here in the printed release.)
Over the 2-year 2021-2022 period, there were 2.2 million cases involving days away from work
(DAFW), representing 66.5 percent of the total cases involving days away from work, job restriction, or
transfer (DART). These cases occurred at an annualized incidence rate of 112.9 cases per 10,000 full-
time equivalent (FTE) workers and required a median of 10 days away from work. Over the same
period, there were 1.1 million cases involving days of job transfer or restriction (DJTR), which
accounted for 33.5 percent of total DART cases, and occurred at an annualized rate of 56.9 cases per
10,000 FTE workers. The median days of job transfer or restriction was 15 days over 2021-2022.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
| Expansion of Case and Demographic Data in the SOII |
| Nationwide all-industry biennial estimates for DAFW and DJTR by detailed case characteristics and |
| worker demographics are published for the first time in this release and will now be published every |
| 2 years. This expansion provides a more complete picture of how workplace injuries and illnesses |
| are managed. Estimates for detailed industry by case type will continue to be published annually. |
|_______________________________________________________________________________________________________|
Annual Rates, 2022
The total recordable cases (TRC) incidence rate in private industry in 2022 was 2.7 cases per 100 FTE
workers.
In 2022, the rate of injury cases was 2.3 cases per 100 FTE workers, unchanged from 2021.
The illness rate increased in 2022, with private industry employers reporting a rate of 45.2 cases per
10,000 FTE workers compared to 37.7 cases in 2021. The increase was driven by a rise in the
respiratory illness rate, which rose from 27.8 cases per 10,000 FTE workers in 2021 to 35.8 cases in
2022.
Biennial Case Characteristics and Worker Demographics, 2021-2022
Occupation
Over 2021-2022, 78.6 percent (223,680) of all DART cases among healthcare practitioners and technical
occupations resulted in at least one day away from work, while the remaining 21.4 percent (61,020)
resulted in one or more days of job transfer or restriction. Among production occupations, 53.8 percent
(223,840 cases) of all DART cases resulted in one or more days away from work, while the remaining
46.2 percent (192,480 cases) required one or more days of job transfer or restriction. (See chart 3).
(Chart 3 appears here in the printed release.)
Transportation and material moving occupations experienced the highest number of DART cases among
major occupation groups with 835,040 total injuries and illnesses over the 2021-2022 period. (See chart
3). These cases occurred at an annualized incidence rate of 410.0 cases per 10,000 FTE. Among these
total DART cases, 503,610 cases (60.3 percent) required at least one day away from work, and 331,430
cases (39.7 percent) resulted in one or more days of job transfer or restriction.
Event or Exposure
Over 2021-2022, overexertion and bodily reaction had the most DART cases at 1,001,440, followed by
contact with objects and equipment with 780,690 cases. Notably, 96.3 percent of the total exposure to
harmful substances or environments cases (634,080 of the 658,240 total DART cases) involved at least
one day away from work. (See chart 4).
Of the total DART cases due to overexertion and bodily reaction, 521,350 cases (52.1 percent) were
DAFW cases, which occurred at an incidence rate of 26.2 cases per 10,000 FTE workers and required a
median of 14 days away from work. The remaining 480,090 (47.9 percent) were DJTR cases, which
occurred at an annualized incidence rate of 24.1 cases per 10,000 FTE workers and required a median of
20 days of job transfer or restriction.
(Chart 4 appears here in the printed release.)
Occupation by event or exposure
Occupation groups can also be viewed by the event that caused the nonfatal injury or illness and case
type. (See chart 5). Among transportation and material moving occupations in 2021-2022, most DART
cases (329,150) were due to overexertion and bodily reaction. Half of these cases (165,690) resulted in
one or more days away from work, with a median of 21 days away. The other half (163,460 cases)
involved at least one day of job transfer or restriction, with a median of 20 days.
In 2021-2022, most DART cases for healthcare practitioners and technical occupations were due to
exposure to harmful substances or environments — the event or exposure category that includes cases of
COVID-19. This exposure made up over half of DAFW cases (127,530) for these workers, which
occurred at an annualized incidence rate of 105.6 cases per 10,000 FTE workers. (See chart 5).
(Chart 5 appears here in the printed release.)
Age group
In 2021-2022, there were 759,560 cases involving DART to persons aged 25 to 34. Of these, 493,180
cases (64.9 percent) were DAFW cases, which occurred at an annualized incidence rate of 106.8 cases
per 10,000 FTE workers and required a median of 8 days away from work. The remaining 266,380 cases
(35.1 percent) were DJTR cases, which occurred at an annualized incidence rate of 57.2 cases per
10,000 FTE workers and required a median of 14 days of job transfer or restriction.
Additional Highlights
* The number of respiratory illnesses in the private health care and social assistance sector
increased from 145,300 in 2021 to 199,700 cases in 2022, an increase of 37.5 percent.
* In 2022, the rate of respiratory illnesses in grocery stores was 190.4 cases per 10,000 FTE
workers, an increase from 66.8 in 2021.
* Over the 2021-2022 period, there were 560,750 total DAFW cases in private industry due to
other diseases due to viruses, not elsewhere classified, the code used to classify cases of COVID-
19. These cases occurred at an annualized rate of 28.2 cases per 10,000 FTE workers and
required a median of 10 days away from work. Additionally, over half of these cases (308,500
cases) occurred in the health care and social assistance industry sector.
* Over the 2021-2022 period, there were 502,380 workplace musculoskeletal disorders that
resulted in at least one day away from work. These cases occurred at an annualized incidence
rate of 25.3 musculoskeletal disorders per 10,000 FTE workers.
Additional Information
This news release is the first of two releases from BLS covering occupational safety and health statistics
for the 2023 calendar year. The SOII presents estimates of counts and incidence rates of employer
reported nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses by industry and type of case. A second release on
December 19, 2023, will provide results from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) of all
fatal work injuries occurring in the U.S. during the 2022 calendar year.
This news release is the first publication of a new biennial (2-year) case and demographic data series
for DJTR and DART. For years prior to this release, BLS conducted several pilot studies for selected
industries from 2011-2019 to collect and report on DJTR cases. Data and reports are published on the
Days of Job Transfer or Restriction Study page, www.bls.gov/iif/nonfatal-injuries-and-illnesses-
tables/soii-case-and-demographic-characteristics-historical-data/days-of-job-transfer-or-restriction.htm.
See our DJTR Collection frequently asked questions for additional information,
www.bls.gov/iif/questions-and-answers.htm#DJTRcollection.
Cases involving days away from work, job transfer, or restriction (DART) are the sum of cases with
days away from work (DAFW) and cases involving only days of job transfer or restriction (DJTR). Days
away from work cases include those that resulted in days away from work, some of which may also
include days of job transfer or restriction. Days of job transfer or restriction cases include those that
result in only days of job transfer or restriction.
Occupational injuries and illnesses collected in the 2021-2022 SOII include cases of COVID-19 when a
worker was infected as a result of performing their work-related duties and that met other recordkeeping
criteria. COVID-19 is considered a respiratory illness under criteria established by the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). SOII relies on OSHA recordkeeping requirements, which
mandate employers record certain work-related injuries and illnesses on their OSHA 300 log, including
the recording of cases of COVID-19, see www.osha.gov/coronavirus/standards. While the Occupational
Injury and Illness Classification System (OIICS) does not include a code specifically for COVID-19,
applicable days away from work cases were included in the Nature code 3299 – “Other diseases due to
viruses, not elsewhere classified.”
Incidence rates and counts by industry and case type published by the SOII are rounded. However,
estimates, percentage changes, and significant changes are determined using unrounded data,
www.bls.gov/iif/factsheets/effects-of-rounding-on-estimates.htm.
Incidence rates represent the number of nonfatal injuries and illnesses relative to the number of hours
employees worked. For annual summary industry estimates, it is the number of nonfatal injuries and
illnesses in the annual reference period relative to the number of hours employees worked in the annual
reference period. The rate is expressed per 100 FTE workers. For case and demographic estimates, it is
an annualized incidence rate, meaning that it is the rate of the number of nonfatal injuries and illnesses
over the 2-year reference period relative to the number of hours employees worked over the 2-year
reference period, expressed on an annual basis per 10,000 FTE workers.
BLS has generated estimates of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses for many industries as
defined in the 2017 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) manual. For additional
information on nonfatal injury and illness estimates, see www.bls.gov/iif/overview/soii-overview.htm
and www.bls.gov/opub/hom/soii/concepts.htm#north-american-industry-classification-system-naics.
All comparison statements made in this news release are statistically significant at the 95 percent
confidence level. Additional background and methodological information regarding the BLS
occupational safety and health statistics program is in the BLS Handbook of Methods at
www.bls.gov/opub/hom/soii/home.htm. Additional data from the SOII are available on the BLS website
at www.bls.gov/iif, from BLS staff at (202) 691-6170, or by email at IIFSTAFF@bls.gov.
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United States Department of Labor
