The latest figures on workplace injuries and illnesses in the United States are for 2019. Released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, they show that New Jersey did better than the national average; it was among 14 states and the District of Columbia whose rates were lower than the national rate. For the Garden State, 69,000 cases were reported in 2019, or 2.5 cases per 100 full-time equivalent workers compared to the national rate of 2.8. The rate in New Jersey was unchanged from 2018.
The story was different in the public sector: Workplace injuries and illnesses for New Jersey’s state and local government sector totaled 20,500 in 2019. That translated to a rate of 5.1 per 100, well above the national rate of 4.6. Eighty percent of those occurred among local government workers.
Among the 69,000 incidents reported in private industry that year, 40,900 were classified as more severe in nature, resulting in days away from work, job transfer or restriction. Notably, the trade, transportation, and utilities “supersector” recorded a significant decline in injuries/illnesses. The data overwhelmingly reflects injuries (66,900), with just 2,100 referring to illnesses.
Read More: 69,000 workplace injuries/illnesses, NJ private industry