The number of private nonfatal injuries and illnesses resulting in days away from work, job transfer, or restriction was 1.8 million in 2022, a 40% reduction of that reported in 30 years prior, according to data released Wednesday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Among these injury and illness cases, cases managed with days of job transfer or work restriction — instead of days away from work — became more prevalent over the 30-year period. In 1992, job transfer or restriction cases made up 21.1% of the total cases of days away from work, job transfer, or restriction in private industry. By 2022, the share was 32.8%.
In 2021 and 2022, transportation and material moving occupations in the private sector experienced the highest number of nonfatal cases that resulted in a day away from work, job transfer, or restriction among major occupation groups at 835,040 cases, according to the data.
Among those cases, most were due to overexertion and bodily reaction at 329,150 cases. Half of these resulted in one or more days away from work, with a median of 21 days away. The other half involved at least one day of job transfer or restriction only, with a median of 20 days of restriction or transfer, according to the data.