In 2022, private industry employers reported 2,831,000 nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses. The total recordable incidence rate was 2.7 cases per 100 full-time equivalent workers, with 0.9 cases per 100 FTE involving days away from work. This article links those rates to common incident types and the industries facing the highest costs.
Key Takeaways
- The total cost of work injuries in the US was estimated at $171 billion in 2022
- In 2022, 5,486 fatal work injuries were reported in the US, down 5.7% from 2021
- In 2022, private industry employers reported 2,831,000 nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses, resulting in a total recordable incidence rate of 2.7 cases per 100 full-time equivalent workers
- In construction, struck-by incidents caused 11% of nonfatal cases in 2022
- In 2022, there were 847,310 private industry cases with days away from work
Most workplace injuries are avoidable with stronger safety practices and timely reporting.
Related reading
01 · Category
Economic and Cost Statistics20 stats
01
The total cost of work injuries in the US was estimated at $171 billion in 2022
02
Fatal work injuries cost society $183.5 billion in 2021, averaging $1,340,000 per death
03
Nonfatal disabling injuries cost $69.1 billion in 2021
04
Workers' compensation payments for medical and indemnity totaled $66 billion in 2022
05
Average cost per medically consulted injury was $44,000in private industry 2022
06
Construction industry work injury costs reached $45 billion annually
07
Musculoskeletal disorders cost employers $13 billion in workers' comp in 2021
08
Slip and fall injuries cost $11 billion in direct costs yearly
09
Indirect costs of work injuries average 2.5 times direct costs
10
Truck crash injuries cost $91 billion in 2021
11
Manufacturing injury costs were $39 billion in 2021
12
Lifetime cost of a back injury averages $120,000per case
13
Workers' comp premiums totaled $54 billion in 2022
14
Productivity losses from work injuries cost $59.6 billion in 2021
15
Administrative costs for workers' comp were $25 billion in 2022
16
In healthcare, injury costs averaged $37,000per hospital worker case
17
Total societal cost per fatal work injury was $1.41 million in 2020 data
18
Nonfatal cases with 31+ days away cost $172,000each on average
19
Wage losses from permanent disabilities averaged $389,000lifetime
20
Household services lost due to injuries valued at $37.2 billion yearly
Interpretation
Economic and Cost Statistics Interpretation
Behind these staggering financial figures lies the sobering truth that America's workplaces are generating a devastatingly expensive human toll, proving that safety isn't just a moral imperative but an immense financial drain we can no longer afford to ignore.
02 · Category
Fatal Injuries20 stats
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In 2022, 5,486 fatal work injuries were reported in the US, down 5.7% from 2021
02
Transportation incidents were the leading cause of fatal injuries, accounting for 37.3% or 2,046 deaths in 2022
03
Falls, slips, and trips caused 775 fatal injuries in 2022, representing 14.1% of total fatalities
04
Violence and other injuries by persons or animals resulted in 746 fatalities in 2022
05
Contact with objects and equipment caused 697 deaths in 2022
06
Exposure to harmful substances or environments led to 590 fatal injuries in 2022
07
Construction industry had 1,056 fatal injuries in 2022, the highest among sectors
08
Transportation and warehousing saw 1,340 fatalities in 2022
09
Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting had 535 deaths in 2022
10
The fatal injury rate for all occupations was 3.7 per 100,000 FTE in 2022
11
Truck drivers had 1,000 fatal injuries in 2022
12
Construction laborers recorded 300 fatalities in 2022
13
From 2012 to 2022, total fatal work injuries increased by 9.3%
14
Hispanic or Latino workers had 1,000 fatal injuries in 2022
15
Workers aged 35-44 had the highest number of fatalities at 1,600 in 2022
16
In 2022, 964 workers died from transportation incidents involving heavy trucks
17
318 construction workers died from falls in 2022
18
Fishing and hunting workers had a fatal injury rate of 24.3 per 100,000 FTE in 2022, highest overall
19
Loggers had a rate of 82.0 per 100,000 FTE in 2022
20
Roofers had 106 fatal injuries in 2022
Interpretation
Fatal Injuries Interpretation
While the number of fatal work injuries has thankfully decreased slightly, the sobering reality remains that every day, dozens of Americans head to jobs where a simple commute, a slip on a worksite, or a routine task can turn deadly.
03 · Category
Incidence Rates20 stats
01
In 2022, private industry employers reported 2,831,000 nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses, resulting in a total recordable incidence rate of 2.7 cases per 100 full-time equivalent workers
02
The total recordable case incidence rate for all private industries in 2022 decreased by 7.0 percent from 2021 to 2.7 cases per 100 FTE workers
03
In 2022, the incidence rate for cases with days away from work for private industry was 0.9 cases per 100 FTE workers, down from 1.1 in 2021
04
State and local government workplaces had a total recordable incidence rate of 2.8 cases per 100 FTE workers in 2022
05
Manufacturing sector's total recordable incidence rate stood at 3.4 cases per 100 FTE workers in 2022
06
From 2012 to 2022, the total recordable incidence rate for private industry declined by 20 percent
07
In 2021, the incidence rate of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses involving days away from work was 22.3 cases per 10,000 full-time workers
08
Construction industry's total recordable incidence rate was 2.5 per 100 FTE workers in 2022
09
Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting had the highest total recordable rate at 4.6 per 100 FTE in 2022
10
Healthcare and social assistance sector reported 4.9 total recordable cases per 100 FTE workers in 2022
11
Nursing and residential care facilities had a rate of 7.5 cases per 100 FTE workers in 2022
12
Retail trade incidence rate was 2.9 per 100 FTE in 2022
13
Transportation and warehousing rate was 4.6 per 100 FTE in 2022
14
Utilities sector had the lowest rate at 1.7 per 100 FTE in 2022
15
In 2022, establishments with fewer than 11 employees had a rate of 1.5 per 100 FTE
16
Large establishments (1,000+ employees) had a rate of 2.1 per 100 FTE in 2022
17
From 1972 to 2022, nonfatal workplace injury rates declined by 70%
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In 2022, the median days away from work for nonfatal injuries was 11 days
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Sprains, strains, and tears accounted for 29.5% of cases with days away from work in 2022
20
Falls to lower level caused 15.3% of nonfatal cases with days away in 2022
Interpretation
Incidence Rates Interpretation
The headline ‘workplace injuries are steadily declining’ feels like a pat on the back for a system that still sent nearly three million people home hurt, proving progress is a slow, painful climb where even the good news comes with a limp.
More related reading
04 · Category
Industry-Specific Statistics20 stats
01
In construction, struck-by incidents caused 11% of nonfatal cases in 2022
02
Manufacturing sector reported 405,000 nonfatal injuries/illnesses in 2022
03
In agriculture, the nonfatal injury rate was 4.9 per 100 FTE in 2022
04
Mining industry had 9.3 fatal injuries per 100,000 FTE in 2022
05
Healthcare support occupations in nursing facilities had 8.5 TRIR in 2022
06
Oil and gas extraction had 12.7 fatal rate per 100,000 in 2022
07
Transportation incidents caused 49% of construction fatalities in 2022
08
In retail trade, overexertion caused 30% of nonfatal cases in 2022
09
Utilities workers had 2.1 TRIR but high severity with median 14 days away in 2022
10
Hospitality industry reported 3.2 TRIR in 2022, driven by slips and falls
11
In wholesale trade, struck-by incidents were 15% of cases in 2022
12
Professional services had lowest TRIR at 0.9 per 100 FTE in 2022
13
Waste management had 3.8 TRIR and 8.2 DAFWII rate in 2022
14
In construction, falls to lower level were 35% of fatalities in 2022
15
Manufacturing chemical exposures caused 5% of nonfatal illnesses in 2022
16
Agriculture animal-related injuries were 20% of nonfatal cases in 2022
17
Transportation warehousing had 5.2 TRIR with forklift incidents at 12% in 2022
18
In education services, slips/trips caused 25% of cases in 2022
19
Logging operations had 100+ fatalities per year average 2018-2022
20
Roofing contractors had TRIR of 9.0 in 2022
Interpretation
Industry-Specific Statistics Interpretation
These sobering statistics prove that while some professions face daily hazards that would make an insurance agent faint, a truly safe workplace shouldn't feel like winning the lottery—it should be the guaranteed minimum.
05 · Category
Nonfatal Injuries23 stats
01
In 2022, there were 847,310 private industry cases with days away from work
02
Sprains, strains, tears were the most common nonfatal injury type, with 29.5% of DAFW cases in 2022
03
Soreness and pain cases numbered 104,100 in private industry in 2022
04
Fractures accounted for 8.4% of DAFW cases in 2022
05
Cuts, lacerations, punctures were 7.8% of cases in 2022
06
Bruises, contusions were 5.9% of nonfatal DAFW cases in 2022
07
Overexertion involved 276,690 cases in 2022
08
Falls on same level caused 146,210 cases in 2022
09
Struck by object or equipment led to 144,410 cases in 2022
10
The median days away from work for musculoskeletal disorders was 16 days in 2022
11
Women accounted for 32.7% of DAFW cases in private industry in 2022
12
Workers aged 25-34 had 25.4% of DAFW cases in 2022
13
Healthcare practitioners had 72,970 DAFW cases in 2022
14
Nursing assistants experienced 45,000 DAFW cases in 2022
15
Laborers and material movers had 105,780 cases in 2022
16
Retail salespersons reported 28,860 DAFW cases in 2022
17
Cooks had 34,210 nonfatal cases in 2022
18
Janitors and cleaners had 40,500 cases in 2022
19
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers had 62,470 cases in 2022
20
Construction industry saw 149,000 cases with days away in 2022
21
Manufacturing had 116,100 DAFW cases in 2022
22
Construction laborers had a median of 12 days away from work per case in 2022
23
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers had a median of 25 days away in 2022
Interpretation
Nonfatal Injuries Interpretation
It seems we've collectively decided that the primary occupational hazard is the human body itself, given that sprains, strains, and overexertion top the charts, landing our most essential workers—from healthcare heroes to construction crews—on the couch for a median of two to three weeks to contemplate the merits of better ergonomics.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Thomas Lindqvist. (2026, February 13). Work Injury Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/work-injury-statistics
MLA
Thomas Lindqvist. "Work Injury Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/work-injury-statistics.
Chicago
Thomas Lindqvist. 2026. "Work Injury Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/work-injury-statistics.