Workers’ compensation claims don’t just reflect workplace injuries, they reflect how often systems prevent them. In 2025, the gap between reportable incidents and actual lost time is more telling than ever, with patterns that vary sharply by industry and injury type. If you have ever wondered why two jobs can look similar on paper yet produce very different outcomes, the 2025 dataset has the answers.
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Claims Statistics
1The frequency of lost-time claims nationwide declined 4.2% in 2022 to 0.87 per 100 insured workers
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2Medical-only claim frequency fell 5.1% in 2022 to 1.12 per 100 insured workers nationally
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3Average duration of temporary total disability claims increased to 146 days in 2022 from 142 days in 2021
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4Indemnity claim frequency decreased 3.8% in 2022, reaching historic lows
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51.7 million workers' compensation claims were reported in the US in 2022
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6California reported 456,000 workers' compensation claims in 2022, a 2.3% decrease
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7Lost-time claims accounted for 25% of all workers' compensation claims in 2022 nationally
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8Average indemnity benefits per lost-time claim were $30,200 in 2022
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9Texas workers' compensation claims frequency was 1.45 per 100 workers in 2022
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10Florida indemnity claims averaged $25,800 per claim in 2022
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11New York lost-time claim frequency was 0.92 per 100 in 2022
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12Pennsylvania medical-only claims numbered 112,000 in 2022
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1342% of workers' compensation claims involved males aged 25-44 in 2022
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14Approval rate for workers' compensation claims averaged 88% upon initial filing in 2022
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15Average settlement value for workers' comp claims was $21,800 in 2022
Directional
16Illinois reported 98,500 workers' compensation claims in 2022, down 1.5%
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17Michigan claim frequency declined 6.2% to 1.03 per 100 in 2022
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18Georgia lost-time claims cost averaged $38,500 in 2022
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19Missouri total claims reached 45,200 in 2022
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20North Carolina claim closure rate was 92% within 12 months in 2022
Single source
21Ohio workers' compensation claims totaled 112,000 with 28% lost-time
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22Washington state denied claims rate was 9.5% in 2022
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23Wisconsin average claim processing time was 45 days in 2022
Single source
24Louisiana indemnity claims frequency was 0.78 per 100 in 2022
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25Minnesota medical claims per 100 workers were 1.25 in 2022
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26Oregon contested claims represented 15% of total in 2022
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27Indiana permanent partial disability claims made up 35% of lost-time claims in 2022
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Claims Statistics Interpretation
While fewer workers got hurt on the job last year, which is excellent news, those who were seriously injured are facing longer and often more expensive roads to recovery, revealing a troubling split in the nation's workplace safety story.
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Costs and Premiums
1In 2022, total workers' compensation benefits paid nationwide reached $64.2 billion, marking a 5.1% increase from 2021
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2Workers' compensation premiums written in the US totaled $54.7 billion in 2022, up 9.2% year-over-year
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3The average cost per lost-time workers' compensation claim rose to $41,757 in 2022 from $39,107 in 2021
Single source
4Nationwide workers' compensation medical loss costs increased by 4.8% in 2022, driven by higher utilization and intensity
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5Indemnity loss costs for workers' compensation rose 3.2% in 2022, reflecting wage inflation adjustments
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6California workers' compensation pure premium decreased by 1.9% in 2022 to $1.89 per $100 of payroll
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7New York workers' compensation premiums generated $4.8 billion in 2022, representing 8.8% of national total
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8Texas non-subscriber workers' compensation costs averaged $0.76 per $100 payroll in 2022
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9Florida workers' compensation medical payments per claim averaged $28,456 in 2021
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10US workers' compensation combined ratio improved to 96% in 2022 from 105% in 2021
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11Total workers' compensation cash flow in 2022 showed $62.3 billion in premiums collected against $58.1 billion paid out
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12Average workers' compensation premium rate per $100 payroll was $0.88 nationally in 2022
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13Pennsylvania workers' compensation premiums totaled $2.9 billion in 2022
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14Illinois saw a 7.5% increase in workers' compensation premiums to $2.1 billion in 2022
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15Michigan workers' compensation loss costs declined 2.3% in 2022
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16Nationwide frequency-adjusted loss costs for workers' compensation rose 2.1% in 2022
Directional
17Workers' compensation benefits as a percentage of payroll were 0.78% in 2022
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18Georgia workers' compensation premiums increased 12.4% to $1.2 billion in 2022
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19Indiana average claim cost reached $37,892 in 2022
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20Missouri workers' compensation pure premium was $1.12 per $100 payroll in 2022, down 4.5%
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21Total US workers' compensation reserves stood at $52.4 billion at year-end 2022
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22North Carolina workers' compensation dividends returned $150 million to policyholders in 2022
Directional
23Ohio average workers' compensation premium per $100 payroll was $1.35 in 2022
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24Washington state workers' compensation benefits paid totaled $1.8 billion in 2022
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25Average national workers' compensation policy premium was $1,200 for small businesses in 2022
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26Louisiana workers' compensation loss ratio was 78% in 2022
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27Minnesota workers' compensation premiums were $1.1 billion in 2022, up 6.8%
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28Oregon pure premium for workers' compensation was $1.45 per $100 payroll in 2022
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29Wisconsin workers' compensation benefits averaged $35,200 per claim in 2022
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30Nationwide workers' compensation earned premiums grew 8.5% to $58.9 billion in 2022
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Costs and Premiums Interpretation
Despite insurers collecting more and paying out less—resulting in a rare, profitable year for them—the rising costs of injuries and care mean that for American workers, getting hurt on the job has never been more expensive.
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Demographic and Trends
1Males accounted for 67% of all workers' compensation claimants in 2022
Directional
2Workers aged 25-34 filed 28% of lost-time claims in 2022
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3Female workers' comp claim frequency rose 2.1% in 2022, narrowing gender gap
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4Hispanic or Latino workers had 19% higher claim frequency than non-Hispanic in 2022
Single source
5Temporary workers' injury rate was 2.3 times higher than permanent in 2022
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6Workers over 55 had average claim costs 25% higher due to severity in 2022
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7Union workers filed 15% fewer claims per 100 than non-union in 2022
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8Part-time workers represented 22% of claims despite 18% of workforce in 2022
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9Black or African American workers had 1.1 cases per 100 vs. 0.9 for white in 2022
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10Immigrants filed 18% of total workers' comp claims in 2022
Single source
11Claim frequency declined 18% since 2012, reaching all-time low in 2022
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12Medical costs per claim increased 42% from 2013 to 2022
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13Projected workers' comp premium growth is 5.2% for 2023
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14Telework reduced claim frequency by 1.8% during 2020-2022 period
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15Opioid prescriptions in workers' comp fell 60% from 2012 to 2022
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16Permanent disability claims dropped 12% over the last decade to 2022
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17Return-to-work success rate reached 89% within 6 months in 2022
Single source
18State legislative reforms impacted 15 states' workers' comp systems in 2022
Directional
19Gig economy workers' comp coverage gap affected 10% of workforce in 2022
Directional
20Aging workforce projected to increase claim severity 8% by 2030
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21Women now 48% of workforce but 38% of claims in 2022
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22Millennials (25-40) accounted for 42% of new claims in 2022
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23Rural area claim costs 15% higher than urban due to access issues in 2022
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24Vocational rehab participation grew 7% in workers' comp cases in 2022
Directional
25Long COVID claims projected to add $2 billion in costs through 2025
Single source
26Attorney involvement in claims declined to 22% in 2022 from 28% in 2012
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27Small employers (<50 workers) had 55% of total policies but 40% of premiums in 2022
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28Climate-related injuries up 12% in workers' comp from 2018-2022 trend
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29Automation projected to reduce manufacturing claims 20% by 2030
Verified
Demographic and Trends Interpretation
The data paints a sobering portrait of a safer but more expensive system, where disparities in risk and recovery stubbornly persist across age, race, and job status, even as innovations like telework and automation begin to chip away at the human cost of work.
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Industry Breakdown
1Construction industry sprain/strain claims were 35% of total injuries in 2022
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2Manufacturing sector lost-time frequency rate was 1.2 per 100 workers in 2022
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3Healthcare workers' comp claims totaled 450,000 in 2022, 18% of national total
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4Retail trade injury incidence rate was 2.8 cases per 100 full-time workers in 2022
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5Transportation and warehousing had the highest median claim cost of $42,000 in 2022
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6Agriculture, forestry, fishing saw 4.6 incidents per 100 workers in 2022
Directional
7Construction pure premium was $2.85 per $100 payroll nationally in 2022
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8Mining industry's workers' comp claims frequency was 2.1 per 100 in 2022
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9Accommodation and food services had 3.2 injury cases per 100 workers in 2022
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10Utilities sector claim severity averaged $55,200 in 2022
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11Wholesale trade workers' comp pure premium was $0.92 per $100 in 2022
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12Educational services claims were 1.9 per 100 workers in 2022
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13Professional services had the lowest frequency at 0.6 per 100 in 2022
Directional
14Leisure and hospitality median days away from work was 12 days in 2022
Single source
15Oil and gas extraction workers' comp costs were $4.20 per $100 payroll in 2022
Single source
16Finance and insurance claims frequency was 0.4 per 100 in 2022
Single source
17Public administration injury rate was 1.5 cases per 100 workers in 2022
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18Real estate workers' comp claims totaled 45,000 in 2022
Directional
19Waste management pure premium was $3.10 per $100 in 2022
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20Arts, entertainment, recreation had 2.9 incidents per 100 in 2022
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21Construction roofing subclass had highest pure premium at $12.50 per $100 in 2022
Single source
22Nursing care facilities claims cost averaged $48,000 per lost-time in 2022
Directional
23Trucking freight pure premium was $2.95 per $100 payroll in 2022
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24Supermarkets injury rate was 3.5 per 100 workers in 2022
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25Logging industry claim frequency was 3.8 per 100 in 2022
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26Hospitals (general medical) had 5.2 claims per 100 workers in 2022
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Industry Breakdown Interpretation
The sobering cost of doing business is clear: whether you're logging trees or logging patient charts, every industry pays a premium for pain, proving that the real bottom line is measured not just in dollars but in days lost and lives disrupted.
More related reading
Injury and Illness Types
1Sprains, strains, and tears accounted for 29.5% of all nonfatal occupational injuries in 2022
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2Soreness and pain cases represented 17.8% of workers' compensation-related injuries in 2022
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3Fractures comprised 9.2% of nonfatal workplace injuries treated via workers' comp in 2022
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4Cuts, lacerations, and punctures made up 8.1% of reported occupational injuries in 2022
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5Musculoskeletal disorders accounted for 32% of all workers' comp claims in 2022
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6Slips, trips, and falls caused 25% of workers' compensation claims in 2022
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7Overexertion incidents represented 22.7% of nonfatal injuries in private industry in 2022
Directional
8Skin disorders accounted for 1.2% of total occupational illnesses compensable by workers' comp in 2022
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9Hearing loss claims under workers' comp numbered 12,500 in 2022
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10Respiratory conditions made up 4.3% of occupational illnesses in 2022
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11Carpal tunnel syndrome claims averaged $29,000 per case in 2022
Directional
12Back injuries constituted 20.4% of lost-time workers' comp claims in 2022
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13Shoulder injuries accounted for 11% of musculoskeletal workers' comp claims in 2022
Directional
14Knee injuries represented 7.5% of lower extremity workers' comp claims in 2022
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15Traumatic injuries from machinery caused 5.2% of severe workers' comp claims in 2022
Directional
16Poisoning and exposure cases were 2.1% of occupational illnesses in 2022
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17Mental health claims under workers' comp rose 15% to 18,000 cases in 2022
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18Heat-related illnesses compensable by workers' comp totaled 2,300 in 2022
Single source
19Eye injuries from foreign bodies accounted for 4.8% of facial injuries in 2022
Directional
20Head injuries comprised 6.3% of all nonfatal workers' comp cases in 2022
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21Upper extremities injuries were 33% of total body part claims in 2022
Directional
22Lower extremities injuries accounted for 15.2% of workers' comp claims in 2022
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23Trunk injuries, mainly back, were 28.4% of claims in 2022
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24Multiple body parts injuries represented 12.1% in 2022 workers' comp data
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25COVID-19 related workers' comp claims peaked at 245,000 cumulatively by end-2022
Verified
Injury and Illness Types Interpretation
The data reveals that the modern workplace is essentially a high-stakes obstacle course where the most common trophies are sprains, soreness, and musculoskeletal mayhem, while a pandemic, rising mental health crises, and the constant threat of a misplaced staple or a vengeful office chair add dramatic, and costly, flair to the proceedings.
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
Samuel Norberg. (2026, February 13). Workers Compensation Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/workers-compensation-statistics
MLA
Samuel Norberg. "Workers Compensation Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/workers-compensation-statistics.
Chicago
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Workers Compensation Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/workers-compensation-statistics.
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