Waltham, MA, July 18, 2024 ― A new FlashReport from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) found that the proportion of injuries among newly hired workers increased over the study period of 2017 to 2022. The upward trend started pre-pandemic and accelerated during the pandemic years.

“This report provides comprehensive information for system stakeholders to evaluate shifts in claim characteristics during a period of notable economic and workforce disruptions in the U.S.,” said Ramona Tanabe, WCRI president and CEO. “The detailed tables and graphs present a clear overview of these changes, helping to pinpoint emerging trends.”

The study, Overview of Workers’ Compensation Claims Composition—A WCRI FlashReport, provides a series of tables and graphs that characterize claims in terms of age, gender, and tenure at the time of injury, as well as the distribution of injuries by industry and injury type. The following are among the questions the study addresses:

• How did the relative share of work injuries change by industry?
• Did the proportion of women with work-related injuries increase?
• What was the most frequent injury type, and were there differences in injury distribution by age, gender, and industry?
• Did work-related injuries occur more frequently among younger or older workers?

The data for this study focus on 8.4 million non-COVID-19 claims from injury years 2017 through 2022 across 31 states, which represents about 80 percent of the workers' compensation benefits paid in the United States. These states include Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Click here to learn more about this study, or to purchase a copy, visit www.wcrinet.org. The authors of this study are Dr. Vennela Thumula and Dr. Olesya Fomenko.

About WCRI

The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) is an independent, not-for-profit research organization based in Waltham, MA. Organized in late 1983, the Institute does not take positions on the issues it researches; rather, it provides information obtained through studies and data collection efforts, which conform to recognized scientific methods. Objectivity is further ensured through rigorous, unbiased peer review procedures. WCRI's diverse membership includes employers; insurers; governmental entities; managed care companies; health care providers; insurance regulators; state labor organizations; and state administrative agencies in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

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