December 20, 2002 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

On-the-job injuries and illnesses rate at new low

The incidence rate for on-the-job injuries and illnesses declined from 6.1 cases per 100 equivalent full-time workers in 2000 to 5.7 in 2001. The rate for 2001 was the lowest since the Bureau began reporting this information in the early 1970s.

[Chart data—TXT]

A total of 5.2 million injuries and illnesses were reported in private industry workplaces during 2001. Employers reported a 1-percent decrease in hours worked and nearly an 8-percent decrease in cases compared with 2000.

The BLS Injuries, Illnesses and Fatalities Program produced these data. Find more information on occupational injuries and illnesses in 2001 in "Workplace Injuries and Illnesses in 2001," news release USDL 02-687.