December 1, 2008 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Jobs with most injuries and illnesses resulting in days away from work

Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers experienced the highest number of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses requiring days away from work in 2007 with 79,000, a 7-percent decline from 85,120 in 2006.

[Chart data—TXT]

Following this occupation were heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (57,050), nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants (44,930), construction laborers (34,180), and light or delivery service truck drivers (32,930). Of these five occupations, only the light or delivery service truck drivers had an increase in cases (23 percent) from 2006.

In all, ten occupations had more than 20,000 injuries and illnesses in 2007. These ten occupations (including the five mentioned above) made up 33 percent of all injuries and illnesses with days away from work in 2007, and have had more than 20,000 injuries and illnesses every year since 2003.

These data are from the BLS Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities program. Additional information is available from "Nonfatal Occupational Injuries and Illnesses Requiring Days Away from Work, 2007," (PDF) (HTML) news release USDL 08-1716.

• Injuries and illnesses resulting in days away from work by age in 2007