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2.6 million workplace injuries and illnesses in private industry in 2021, down 1.8 percent from 2020
November 16, 2022
There were 2.6 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses reported by private industry employers in 2021, a 1.8-percent decrease from 2.7 million cases in 2020. In 2021, the incidence rate of total recordable cases in private industry was 2.7 cases per 100 full-time workers, unchanged from 2020.
Total reported, injury, and illness case counts, private industry, 2019–21
Year
Total reported cases
Injuries
Illnesses
2019
2,814,000
2,686,800
127,200
2020
2,654,700
2,110,100
544,600
2021
2,607,900
2,242,700
365,200
The decline in the total number of cases was due to a drop in illness cases. Private industry employers reported 365,200 nonfatal illnesses in 2021, a drop of 32.9 percent from 544,600 cases in 2020. Total reported injury cases increased 6.3 percent in 2021 to 2.2 million cases.
The decrease in illness cases was driven by a 37.1-percent decrease in employer-reported respiratory illnesses. There were 269,600 respiratory illness cases in 2021, down from 428,700 in 2020. The rate of illness cases also decreased in 2021, from 55.9 cases per 10,000 full-time workers in 2020 to 37.7 cases in 2021.
United States Department of Labor
