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Factors such as higher retirement ages, increased employee turnover, and longer recovery periods are driving these cost increases for workplace injury claims, according to a new report.
The Travelers Companies released its 2025 Injury Impact Report, drawing on over 2.6 million workers’ compensation claims filed over the past decade. What it found is that although the overall number of workplace injuries has decreased, the cost per claim has climbed significantly.
Factors such as higher retirement ages, increased employee turnover, and longer recovery periods are driving these cost increases, according to Insurance Business.
Between 2020 and 2024, Travelers reviewed 1.2 million claims—down from 1.4 million in the 2015-2019 period—confirming a steady decline in injury frequency. However, certain injury types remain particularly common and costly. Overexertion accounts for nearly 30% of claims, slips, trips, and falls make up 23%, and incidents involving being struck by objects represent 12%.
Among these, slips, trips, and falls generate some of the most severe financial impacts, with losses frequently surpassing $250,000. This indicates that while fewer injuries occur overall, the severity and expense of incidents continue to be significant.
The report also draws attention to injury rates among employees new to their roles. First-year workers made up approximately 36% of workplace injuries and 34% of claim costs in recent years, up from 34% and 32%, respectively, in the earlier period. Industries such as restaurants and construction show even higher concentrations of first-year employee injuries and costs, underscoring the risks faced by newer workers in physically demanding fields.
A notable demographic trend shows an increase in claims involving older workers. Employees aged 50 and above accounted for 41% of claims recently, up from 39%, while those 60 and older rose to 16% from 13%. Although these older employees sustain fewer injuries overall, their recovery times are longer, leading to higher costs. The average number of missed workdays per injury rose to 80 days between 2020 and 2024, exceeding the previous five-year average by over a week. Workers aged 60 and above missed nearly 97 days on average, which is 17 days longer than the overall average.
Travelers emphasized that these factors present clear challenges for employers aiming to control costs and maintain a safe workforce. Understanding the distinct needs of both new hires and older employees may be essential to reducing costly claims and supporting workforce health.
