December 21, 1999 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Injuries and illnesses in goods-producing and service-producing sectors

In 1998, the incidence rate for injuries and illnesses in goods-producing industries was 9.3 cases per 100 full-time workers, down from 9.9 in 1997.

[Chart data—TXT]

The incidence rate in service-producing industries was 5.6 cases per 100 full-time workers last year, compared to 5.9 in 1997. Since 1994, the incidence rate in goods-producing industries has fallen by 22 percent, while the rate in service-producing industries has dropped by 19 percent.

Among goods-producing industries, manufacturing had the highest incidence rate in 1998—9.7 cases per 100 full-time workers. Within the service-producing sector, the highest incidence rate was reported for transportation and public utilities—7.3 cases per 100 full-time workers.

The BLS Safety and Health Statistics Program produced these data. Find more information on occupational injuries and illnesses in 1998 in Workplace Injuries and Illnesses in 1998 news release USDL 99-358.