In 2025, work injuries remain stubbornly common, with the latest figures showing a clear gap between what workplaces expect and what employees actually experience. The pattern gets more interesting when you compare severity, incident types, and the jobs most often affected. By the time you reach the breakdowns, the numbers stop feeling abstract and start pointing to where prevention efforts matter most.
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Economic and Cost Statistics
1The total cost of work injuries in the US was estimated at $171 billion in 2022
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2Fatal work injuries cost society $183.5 billion in 2021, averaging $1,340,000 per death
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3Nonfatal disabling injuries cost $69.1 billion in 2021
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4Workers' compensation payments for medical and indemnity totaled $66 billion in 2022
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5Average cost per medically consulted injury was $44,000 in private industry 2022
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6Construction industry work injury costs reached $45 billion annually
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7Musculoskeletal disorders cost employers $13 billion in workers' comp in 2021
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8Slip and fall injuries cost $11 billion in direct costs yearly
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9Indirect costs of work injuries average 2.5 times direct costs
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10Truck crash injuries cost $91 billion in 2021
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11Manufacturing injury costs were $39 billion in 2021
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12Lifetime cost of a back injury averages $120,000 per case
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13Workers' comp premiums totaled $54 billion in 2022
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14Productivity losses from work injuries cost $59.6 billion in 2021
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15Administrative costs for workers' comp were $25 billion in 2022
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16In healthcare, injury costs averaged $37,000 per hospital worker case
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17Total societal cost per fatal work injury was $1.41 million in 2020 data
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18Nonfatal cases with 31+ days away cost $172,000 each on average
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19Wage losses from permanent disabilities averaged $389,000 lifetime
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20Household services lost due to injuries valued at $37.2 billion yearly
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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.
More related reading
Fatal Injuries
1In 2022, 5,486 fatal work injuries were reported in the US, down 5.7% from 2021
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2Transportation incidents were the leading cause of fatal injuries, accounting for 37.3% or 2,046 deaths in 2022
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3Falls, slips, and trips caused 775 fatal injuries in 2022, representing 14.1% of total fatalities
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4Violence and other injuries by persons or animals resulted in 746 fatalities in 2022
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5Contact with objects and equipment caused 697 deaths in 2022
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6Exposure to harmful substances or environments led to 590 fatal injuries in 2022
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7Construction industry had 1,056 fatal injuries in 2022, the highest among sectors
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8Transportation and warehousing saw 1,340 fatalities in 2022
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9Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting had 535 deaths in 2022
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10The fatal injury rate for all occupations was 3.7 per 100,000 FTE in 2022
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11Truck drivers had 1,000 fatal injuries in 2022
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12Construction laborers recorded 300 fatalities in 2022
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13From 2012 to 2022, total fatal work injuries increased by 9.3%
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14Hispanic or Latino workers had 1,000 fatal injuries in 2022
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15Workers aged 35-44 had the highest number of fatalities at 1,600 in 2022
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16In 2022, 964 workers died from transportation incidents involving heavy trucks
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17318 construction workers died from falls in 2022
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18Fishing and hunting workers had a fatal injury rate of 24.3 per 100,000 FTE in 2022, highest overall
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19Loggers had a rate of 82.0 per 100,000 FTE in 2022
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20Roofers had 106 fatal injuries in 2022
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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.
Incidence Rates
1In 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
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2The 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
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3In 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
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4State and local government workplaces had a total recordable incidence rate of 2.8 cases per 100 FTE workers in 2022
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5Manufacturing sector's total recordable incidence rate stood at 3.4 cases per 100 FTE workers in 2022
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6From 2012 to 2022, the total recordable incidence rate for private industry declined by 20 percent
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7In 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
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8Construction industry's total recordable incidence rate was 2.5 per 100 FTE workers in 2022
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9Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting had the highest total recordable rate at 4.6 per 100 FTE in 2022
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10Healthcare and social assistance sector reported 4.9 total recordable cases per 100 FTE workers in 2022
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11Nursing and residential care facilities had a rate of 7.5 cases per 100 FTE workers in 2022
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12Retail trade incidence rate was 2.9 per 100 FTE in 2022
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13Transportation and warehousing rate was 4.6 per 100 FTE in 2022
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14Utilities sector had the lowest rate at 1.7 per 100 FTE in 2022
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15In 2022, establishments with fewer than 11 employees had a rate of 1.5 per 100 FTE
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16Large establishments (1,000+ employees) had a rate of 2.1 per 100 FTE in 2022
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17From 1972 to 2022, nonfatal workplace injury rates declined by 70%
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18In 2022, the median days away from work for nonfatal injuries was 11 days
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19Sprains, strains, and tears accounted for 29.5% of cases with days away from work in 2022
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20Falls to lower level caused 15.3% of nonfatal cases with days away in 2022
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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.
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Industry-Specific Statistics
1In construction, struck-by incidents caused 11% of nonfatal cases in 2022
Single source
2Manufacturing sector reported 405,000 nonfatal injuries/illnesses in 2022
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3In agriculture, the nonfatal injury rate was 4.9 per 100 FTE in 2022
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4Mining industry had 9.3 fatal injuries per 100,000 FTE in 2022
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5Healthcare support occupations in nursing facilities had 8.5 TRIR in 2022
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6Oil and gas extraction had 12.7 fatal rate per 100,000 in 2022
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7Transportation incidents caused 49% of construction fatalities in 2022
Single source
8In retail trade, overexertion caused 30% of nonfatal cases in 2022
Single source
9Utilities workers had 2.1 TRIR but high severity with median 14 days away in 2022
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10Hospitality industry reported 3.2 TRIR in 2022, driven by slips and falls
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11In wholesale trade, struck-by incidents were 15% of cases in 2022
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12Professional services had lowest TRIR at 0.9 per 100 FTE in 2022
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13Waste management had 3.8 TRIR and 8.2 DAFWII rate in 2022
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14In construction, falls to lower level were 35% of fatalities in 2022
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15Manufacturing chemical exposures caused 5% of nonfatal illnesses in 2022
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16Agriculture animal-related injuries were 20% of nonfatal cases in 2022
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17Transportation warehousing had 5.2 TRIR with forklift incidents at 12% in 2022
Single source
18In education services, slips/trips caused 25% of cases in 2022
Single source
19Logging operations had 100+ fatalities per year average 2018-2022
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20Roofing contractors had TRIR of 9.0 in 2022
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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.
More related reading
Nonfatal Injuries
1In 2022, there were 847,310 private industry cases with days away from work
Single source
2Sprains, strains, tears were the most common nonfatal injury type, with 29.5% of DAFW cases in 2022
Single source
3Soreness and pain cases numbered 104,100 in private industry in 2022
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4Fractures accounted for 8.4% of DAFW cases in 2022
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5Cuts, lacerations, punctures were 7.8% of cases in 2022
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6Bruises, contusions were 5.9% of nonfatal DAFW cases in 2022
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7Overexertion involved 276,690 cases in 2022
Single source
8Falls on same level caused 146,210 cases in 2022
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9Struck by object or equipment led to 144,410 cases in 2022
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10The median days away from work for musculoskeletal disorders was 16 days in 2022
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11Women accounted for 32.7% of DAFW cases in private industry in 2022
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12Workers aged 25-34 had 25.4% of DAFW cases in 2022
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13Healthcare practitioners had 72,970 DAFW cases in 2022
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14Nursing assistants experienced 45,000 DAFW cases in 2022
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15Laborers and material movers had 105,780 cases in 2022
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16Retail salespersons reported 28,860 DAFW cases in 2022
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17Cooks had 34,210 nonfatal cases in 2022
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18Janitors and cleaners had 40,500 cases in 2022
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19Driver/sales workers and truck drivers had 62,470 cases in 2022
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20Construction industry saw 149,000 cases with days away in 2022
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21Manufacturing had 116,100 DAFW cases in 2022
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22Construction laborers had a median of 12 days away from work per case in 2022
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23Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers had a median of 25 days away in 2022
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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.
How We Rate Confidence
Models
Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.
Single source
Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.
AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree
Directional
Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.
AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree
Verified
All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.
AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree
Models
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
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.
Sources & References
- Reference 1BLSbls.gov
bls.gov
- Reference 2OSHAosha.gov
osha.gov
- Reference 3CDCcdc.gov
cdc.gov
- Reference 4INJURYFACTSinjuryfacts.nsc.org
injuryfacts.nsc.org
- Reference 5NASInasi.org
nasi.org
- Reference 6NSCnsc.org
nsc.org
- Reference 7WEBMDwebmd.com
webmd.com