Respiratory illnesses up 96 percent in retail trade in 2021

Respiratory illnesses in the retail trade sector rose 96.0 percent from 2020 (21,500 cases) to 2021 (42,100 cases). That drove a 75.6-percent increase in all illnesses (29,500 to 51,850). In addition to the increase in illnesses in retail trade, injuries also increased by 13.2 percent in the same period (311,600 to 352,800). That led to an increase of 18.6 percent for injuries and illnesses combined (341,100 to 404,700). Cases of work-related COVID-19 infection are counted among respiratory illnesses.

In 2021, the respiratory illness rate for the retail trade sector was 37.5 cases per 10,000 full-time workers. That was notably higher than the rate of 0.8 before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019. Within retail trade, general merchandise stores had the highest publishable incidence rate of respiratory illness in 2021, 77.5 cases per 10,000 full-time workers.

These data are from the Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities program. To learn more about injuries and illnesses in the workplace, see “Employer-reported Workplace Injuries and Illnesses – 2021.” We also have more charts on nonfatal work injuries and illnesses. Information on how COVID-19 is reflected in the nonfatal injury and illness data in 2020 and 2021 is in our COVID-19 Fact Sheet. Cases of COVID-19 requiring days away from work or transfer of work duties will be reported separately beginning with the 2023–24 reporting period.