Employer efforts to improve workplace safety have helped reduce the number of on-the-job accidents since the pandemic, according to a new study by workman’s compensation insurer Travelers. Despite that decrease, however, continuing changes within the U.S. workforce mean the injuries that do occur are costlier to businesses, in terms of time and money.

Travelers recently released its 2025 Injury Impact Report, which compared the number and consequences of workplace accidents between 2015 and 2019 with those of the post-pandemic years of 2020-24.

It found the total 1.4 million employee injury claims filed during the first four-year period dropped to 1.2 million in the second one — when costs related to them actually increased. Travelers didn’t put a dollar figure on those total expenses, but it indicated that lost productivity due to workers needing longer recovery times was a big factor.

Over the past four years, the report said, employees missed an average of 80 workdays to each injury suffered, up by more than seven days compared to 2015 to 2019. One reason for that is the swelling numbers of baby boomers who are still working and delaying retirement, especially in the finance, insurance, real estate, manufacturing, retail, transportation and restaurant businesses.

Travelers determined when workers 60 or older were hurt on the job, they needed an average of 97 days to recover — almost two weeks more than during the pre-pandemic years.

That cohort of employees over 60 made up 16% of all claims filed, with people 50 and older accounting for 41% of worker injuries. Those were up from 13% and 39%, respectively, from 2015 to 2019.

That wasn’t the only recent labor market trend influencing the numbers and costs of workplace accidents.

Travelers said that significantly higher employee turnover rates since the pandemic had also played a role.

People hurt during their first year on the job constituted 36% of all claims and 34% of total costs from 2020 to 2024 — 2 percentage points higher in both categories than the earlier period.

The study’s data found companies with the largest numbers of employee accidents were in construction, manufacturing, wholesaling and in small businesses, where “slips, trips, and falls happened most frequently, and were the second-highest cost per claim.” Other leading injuries among companies with older and frequently renewing workforces included overexertion, being hit by an object and vehicle accidents.

“Over the past decade, we’ve seen three trends intensify: increasing retirement ages, ongoing employee turnover and longer injury recovery times,” said Rich Ives, Travelers’ senior vice president of business insurance claims. “Our aim with this report is to provide employers with insights on these dynamics that are contributing to growing claim severity so they can better navigate these workforce challenges, protect their employees and keep their businesses running.”

So how can employers lower the expenses of workplace injuries in addition to decreasing their frequency?

For starters, businesses can onboard and train employees on ways to avoid accidents, as well as on procedures to effectively respond to them and minimize their damage.

In addition, Travelers advises companies to make ongoing improvement of safety practices and hands-on instruction to staff a management priority.

“Taking these steps can help employees feel valued and supported, which is key to maintaining a motivated, safe and healthy workforce,” said Chris Hayes, Travelers assistant vice president of workers compensation and transportation risk control.