New York Workplace Injuries Declined Over Last Decade

State reports show injury and illness cases dropped nearly 18% between 2014 and 2024.

Updated on Sept. 22, 2026 in Employment

Isometric editorial illustration of work gloves on a shipping crate, representing New York state occupational safety trends. — Workplace injuries and illnesses in New York state declined by nearly 18% over the last decade, totaling 122,000 cases in 2024. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Should states mandate stricter safety practices for industries with persistently high injury rates?

New York workplace injuries and illnesses declined by nearly 18% between 2014 and 2024. In 2024, the state recorded approximately 122,000 cases of occupational injury or illness.

Why it matters

Understanding long-term safety trends helps identify which sectors require better preventative measures. While overall safety has improved, high-risk industries continue to experience disproportionately higher rates of injury.

The statewide rate of injury or illness was fewer than two per 100 workers in 2024. This follows a decade-long period where total reported incidents decreased by 18%.

The details

Despite the broad decline in workplace incidents across New York, certain sectors maintain significantly elevated risk levels. Couriers and messengers experience over seven injuries per 100 workers, while those in transportation and warehousing report four per 100.

The decline in injuries and illnesses occurred from 2014 to 2024.
The total of 122,000 cases was reported for the 2024 calendar year.

Macro View

This decline mirrors historical economic cycles where long-term safety investments gradually reduce incident rates across diverse labor markets. Comparing current injury rates to the 2014 baseline provides a metric for measuring the efficacy of state safety initiatives.

For the average worker, these trends suggest that while overall safety is improving, the risk of injury is highly dependent on specific industry roles. Employees in logistics and courier services should remain aware that their sectors carry injury rates significantly higher than the state average.

The takeaway

The data highlights a positive decade-long trajectory for workplace safety across the state of New York. Workers in high-risk logistics roles should prioritize safety protocols, as their sectors remain outliers compared to the statewide average.