Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

The Seasonal Timing of Work‐Related Injuries

Brooks Pierce

Abstract

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) is an establishment survey designed to produce annual estimates of nonfatal workplace injury counts and rates. The SOII collects substantial detail on worker and case characteristics, including the injury date, for injuries that lead to lost work time. I utilize this information to show within-year patterns of the timing of injuries. More injuries occur during the summer months than at other times of the year. In addition, injuries are much less frequently reported near the end of the calendar year. Lower end-of-year injury rates are pronounced for types of injuries that are harder to verify, suggesting a reporting effect whereby some injuries may not be identified in time for respondents to report them to the survey.