Construction Workers Miss Average 114 Days After Injury, Travelers Report Finds
According to Safety+Health Magazine, a new report from insurance provider The Travelers Cos. finds that while overall workplace injury rates are declining, the injuries that do occur are “growing more complex and taking longer to heal,” with construction workers among the hardest hit.
Key Findings from the 2026 Injury Impact Report
Travelers researchers analyzed data from more than 1.2 million workers’ compensation claims submitted across multiple industries between 2021 and 2025. On average, injured workers missed 80 workdays, but construction workers fared significantly worse, missing an average of 114 days per injury. Transportation workers missed an average of 94 days, while professional services and manufacturing workers missed 77 and 76 days, respectively.
Two workforce groups are driving much of the cost and complexity. Workers 60 and older represented 16% of all lost-time claims and missed an average of 97 days. First-year employees accounted for roughly 37% of all injuries and 34% of total claims costs. In construction specifically, new hires made up 44% of all injuries recorded in the data.
Claude Howard, vice president of workers’ compensation claims at Travelers, acknowledged the mixed picture: “The decrease in workplace injuries is a positive story, yet injured workers are still missing an average of 80 workdays.”
What It Means for Subcontractors
- New hire onboarding is a liability. With first-year workers accounting for 44% of construction injuries, subcontractors should treat the first 90 days on any jobsite as the highest-risk window and structure safety training accordingly.
- An aging crew means longer claim durations. Workers 60 and older miss nearly 100 days per injury on average, which directly affects project scheduling, insurance premiums, and return-to-work programs.
- Prevention has a measurable ROI. Travelers recommends identifying workplace risks, tightening safety controls, and defining clear safe work practices. As Chris Hayes, assistant vice president of workers’ compensation risk control at Travelers, put it: “Getting ahead of the risks isn’t just good safety practice; it’s one of the most meaningful things an employer can do to protect and support their people.”
- Small businesses carry extra exposure. Injured workers at small businesses missed an average of 86 days per claim, above the overall 80-day average, making proactive safety programs especially critical for smaller subcontracting firms without a deep labor bench.
