Older Workers Miss More Work after Injury or Illness

Older workers require more days away from work to recover from a workplace injury or illness than do their younger counterparts, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The median number of days away from work for all workers was 8 days in 2003; for those aged 55-64, it was 12 days, and for those aged 65 and older, it was 18 days.

Older workers have more disabling conditions like fractures and multiple injuries than do younger workers. And similar events lead to more severe injuries in older workers than in others.

For more details on the impacts of U.S. workplace accidents and illness, including many not-so-obvious ones, see the BLS’ Injuries and Illnesses and Fatalities program.

Also See:
Jobs to Die For: Fatal Work Injuries Up in 2004
Union Workers Earn More than Non-union
Many U.S. Jobs Becoming Less Male-dominated