December 19, 2000 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Decline in on-the-job injuries and illnesses continues

The incidence rate for on-the-job injuries and illnesses in private industry fell to 6.3 cases per 100 equivalent full-time workers in 1999, down from 6.7 cases in 1998.

[Chart data—TXT]

In the 5 years between 1994 and 1999 the incidence rate dropped from 8.4 cases per 100 equivalent full-time workers to 6.3 cases, a 25 percent decline. The rate for 1999 was the lowest since the Bureau of Labor Statistics began reporting this information in the early 1970s.

There were a total of 5.7 million injuries and illnesses reported in private industry workplaces during 1999. Employers reported a 4 percent drop in the number of cases and a 2 percent increase in the hours worked compared with 1998.

The BLS Safety and Health Statistics Program produced these data. Find more information on occupational injuries and illnesses in 1999 in "Workplace Injuries and Illnesses in 1999," news release USDL 00-357.