Photo: Jetta Productions Inc./gettyimages
Hartford, CT — Although the frequency of workplace injuries has decreased in recent years, the average recovery time for those injuries has increased, according to a new report from insurance provider The Travelers Cos.
For its 2025 Injury Impact Report, researchers used data from more than 2.6 million workers’ compensation claims submitted from various businesses and industries over the past 10 years.
In the past five years, 1.2 million claims were submitted – about 200,000 fewer than in the previous five years. Also, employees have missed an average of 80 workdays after an injury, up from an average of 75 days from 2015 to 2019.
Other findings:
- Employees in their first year on the job accounted for around 36% of injuries and 34% of overall claims costs in the past five years.
- Over that same period, around 41% of injuries were experienced by employees 50 or older.
- Injured workers who were 60 and older were out of work an average of 97 days from 2020 to 2025. They accounted for 16% of overall injured employees in that span.
“Over the past decade, we’ve seen three trends intensify: increasing retirement ages, ongoing employee turnover and longer injury recovery times,” Rich Ives, senior vice president of business insurance claim at Travelers, said in a press release. “Our aim with this report is to provide employers with insights on these dynamics that are contributing to growing claim severity so they can better navigate these workforce challenges, protect their employees and keep their businesses running.”
Travelers details three “key areas” where employers can manage their workers’ safety:
- Onboarding and training employees to establish safe work practices
- Focusing on safety culture by supporting and engaging employees
- Attracting and hiring qualified candidates
“Taking these steps can help employees feel valued and supported, which is key to maintaining a motivated, safe and healthy workforce,” Chris Hayes, assistant vice president of workers’ comp and transportation, risk control, at Travelers, said in the release.
McCraren Compliance offers a full range of safety and health training and consulting services. Plus we can help you incorporate well-being into your traditional systems in order to support the Total Worker Health of your workforce.
Call 888-758-4757, email info@mccrarencompliance.com or visit our website www.mccrarencompliance.com
Original article published by Safety+Health an NSC publication