Nearly half of all construction injuries involved workers in their first year on the job
Nearly half (44%) of all construction injuries involved workers in their first year on the job, according to Travelers, one of the country’s largest workers compensation insurers.
Traveler’s 2026 Injury Impact Report analyzes data from more than 1.2 million workers compensation claims from 2021-2025. The report finds that even as workplace injury rates decline, the injuries that do occur are growing more complex and taking longer to heal—a trend driven by an aging workforce and the disproportionate vulnerability of first-year employees.
Other construction-specific insights include:
- Average number of missed workdays: Construction workers missed 114 days on average, which is the highest number of days missed due to injuries compared to the other industries surveyed. Workers aged 60 and over missed 124 days on average.
- Impact of aging workforce: 10% of injured workers are aged 60 and older.
- Common causes of injuries: The most common causes of injuries are slips, trips, and falls at 47%, followed by being struck by an object at 13%, overexertion at 11%, motor vehicle accidents at 10%, caught in or caught between hazards at 6%, and cuts and punctures at 3%.
“The decrease in workplace injuries is a positive story, yet injured workers are still missing an average of 80 workdays,” said Claude Howard, vice president of Workers Compensation Claim at Travelers.
“This report is a reminder that progress doesn’t mean the risk environment requires any less attention, and an employer’s commitment to safety must keep pace with an ever-evolving workforce and injury landscape.”