U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS COMPENSATION AND WORKING CONDITIONS

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Older Workers and Severity of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses Involving Days

Away from Work

by William J. Wiatrowski

Bureau of Labor Statistics

Originally Posted: July 26, 2005
U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS COMPENSATION AND WORKING CONDITIONS

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• Injuries and illnesses among those aged 65 and older made up 1.9 percent of total days-away-from-work cases in

private industry in 2003, while such employees worked 2.3 percent of all hours in the same period. (Days-away-fromwork cases require recuperation away from work beyond the day of the incident.) Those aged 55 to 64 accounted for

10.2 percent of days-away-from-work injuries and illnesses and 10.7 percent of hours worked. (See charts 1 and 2.) • In contrast to their lower incidence, lost-time injuries and illnesses among those aged 65 and older tended to be more

severe than those among younger workers. Injured workers aged 65 and older were away from work a median of 18

days in 2003, compared with a median of 8 days for all workers and 12 days for workers aged 55 to 64. (See chart 3.) • In addition, nearly 40 percent of the days-away-from-work injuries and illnesses among those aged 65 and older

involved 31 or more days off the job. The proportion of all workers with days-away-from-work injuries involving 31 or

more days off was about 26 percent, and among those aged 55 to 64, it was about 33 percent. (See chart 4.)

NOTE: For more information on these data, see the news release Lost-Worktime Injuries and Illnesses: Characteristics and

Resulting Days Away From Work, 2003, USDL 05-521 (U.S. Department of Labor), March 30, 2005; available on the Internet

at http://www.bls.gov/iif/oshwc/osh/case/osnr0022.pdf.
U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS COMPENSATION AND WORKING CONDITIONS

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Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses. Hours worked data are from the Current

Population Survey. William J. Wiatrowski

Economist, Office of Safety, Health, and Working Conditions, Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Telephone: (202) 691-6305; E-mail: Wiatrowski.William@bls.gov

Data for Chart 1. Percent of injuries and illnesses with days away from work by age of worker, 2003

Age Percent of injuries and illnesses

16-19 3.3%

20-24 11.1%

25-34 24.2%

35-44 27.5%

45-54 21.9%

55-64 10.2%

65 and over 1.9%

Data for Chart 2. Percent of hours worked by age, 2003

Age Percent of hours worked

16-19 3.2%

20-24 10.3%

25-34 24.3%

35-44 26.6%

45-54 22.6%

55-64 10.7%

65 and over 2.3%

Data for Chart 3. Median days away from work due to occupational injury or illness, by age of worker, 2003

Age Median days

All ages 8

14-15 3

16-19 4

20-24 5

25-34 6

35-44 9

45-54 11

55-64 12

65 and over 18

Data for Chart 4. Percent of occupational injuries and illnesses involving 31 or more days away from work, by age of

worker, 2003

Age Percent of cases with 31 or more days

All ages 26.2
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Age Percent of cases with 31 or more days

16-19 12

20-24 15.1

25-34 22.2

35-44 28.1

45-54 31.6

55-64 33.2

65 and over 39.1

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