Detailed nonfatal data over 2023-2024
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has transitioned from an annual to a biennial (every two years) publication schedule. The final publication of a single year of cases involving days away from work estimates was for reference year 2020. The most recent BLS detailed data now cover 2023 and 2024 for Days Away from Work (DAFW), Days of Job Transfer or Restriction (DJTR), and Days Away from Work, Job Restriction, or Transfer (DART) cases.
New event categories starting in 2023
The BLS has updated the Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System starting with the 2023 data year. The update includes changes to how injury and illness events are classified. This change is considered a data break, therefore, comparing counts to previous years should be done with caution. Currently, 2024 fatality data and 2023-2024 nonfatal data are using the new classification categories.
Please note that the most recent fatality data available are for 2024, the most recent nonfatal data are for 2023-2024. The leading causes of death and nonfatal injury are not always the same. While transportation incidents are the leading cause of death in 2024, resulting in 38% of all work-related deaths, they are the fifth leading cause of nonfatal injuries in 2023-2024, accounting for only about 4% of injuries or illnesses involving days away from work, job restriction or transfer (DART). In 2023-2024, the leading cause of nonfatal work-related injuries or illnesses involving days away from work (DAFW) is contact incidents, accounting for 27% of injuries or illnesses. Contact incident fatalities are far less common, accounting for 15% of deaths in 2024. However, the leading cause of DART cases in 2023-2024 was overexertion, repetitive motion, and bodily condition, accounting for 32% of cases. A comparison of the leading causes of death and nonfatal injuries by severity (DAFW, DJTR, and DART) is provided here. Drill down to view subcategory data by clicking a category on the chart. Data for DJTR and DART cases are only available starting in 2021-2022.
- Chart
- Data Table
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.