Policy Development, Research and Statistics -- DLI statistics descriptions

A through F |  G through L  |  M through R  |  S through Z

A

Age of indemnity claimants
Figures A and B show the mean and median age of indemnity claimants at the aging data. Figure C shows the distribution of age groups each year. Cases where the worker's age is unknown, less than 14 years or older than 90 years are excluded.

All summary tables from the BLS survey for Minnesota
These Excel 97 files show summary data from the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses. The figures should be viewed with caution, because some of the differences in year-to-year rates and numbers, especially in the smaller sectors, may represent sampling variation rather than actual differences in case incidence. For more information about sampling error in the BLS survey, see "Reliability of estimates" at the BLS Web site.

Included in the file for years 2002 and later are:/p>

• Table 1 -- Incidence rates of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses by selected industries and case types;
• Table 2 -- Number of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses by selected industries and case types;
• Table 3 -- Incidence rates of nonfatal occupational injuries by industry division/sector and employment size;
• Table 4 -- Incidence rates and numbers of nonfatal occupational injuries by selected industries;
• Table 5 -- Incidence rates and numbers of nonfatal occupational  illnesses by industry division/sector and category of illness;
• Table 6 -- Incidence rates of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses by industry and case types;
• Table 7 -- Number of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses by industry and case types;
• Table 8 -- Incidence rates of nonfatal occupational illnesses by selected industries and category of illness;
• Table 9 -- Numbers of nonfatal occupational illnesses by selected industries and category of illness;
• Table 10 -- Incidence rates and numbers of nonfatal occupational injuries by industry; and
• Table A1 through A4 -- Relative standard errors tables.

Included in the files for 1999, 2000 and 2001 are:

• Table 1 -- Incidence rates of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses by selected industries and case types;
• Table 2 -- Number of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses by selected industries and case types;
• Table 3 -- Incidence rates of nonfatal occupational injuries by industry division and employment size;
• Table 4 -- Number of nonfatal occupational illnesses by industry division and selected case types;
• Table 5 -- Incidence rates of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses by industry division and selected case types, for the past three years;
• Table 6 -- Incidence rates of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses by industry and selected case types;
• Table 7 -- Number of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses by industry and selected case types;
• Table 8 -- Nonfatal occupational illness incidence rates by industry and category of illness;
• Table 9 -- Number of new cases of nonfatal occupational illnesses by industry and category of illness; and
• Table A1 through A4 -- Relative standard errors tables.

Average amounts of selected types of indemnity benefits
Figure A shows average indemnity benefits of different types per claim with the given type of benefit by year of injury. This means that for each type of benefit, the average is taken over those claims with that type of benefit. As in previous figures showing average benefits per claim, the numbers are adjusted for growth in the average wages and expressed in 2002 wage-dollars. The adjusted trends signify changes in average benefits per claim attributable to factors other than general wage growth.

Figure B shows the average amounts of different types of indemnity benefits per indemnity claim by year of injury, adjusted for wage growth. In contrast with Figure A, the average for each benefit type is taken over all indemnity claims, including those with no benefits of the particular type. Thus, Figure B reflects both the average benefit of each type for claims with that benefit type and the percentage of indemnity claims with that benefit type.

Average duration of wage-replacement benefits in weeks
This figure shows the average duration of temporary total disability/permanent total disability (TTD/PTD) and temporary partial disability (TPD) benefits by year of injury. These numbers are "developed," meaning they are estimates of what the final numbers will be when all claims are complete.

Average indemnity and medical costs of insured claims
This figure presents the average indemnity and medical costs of claims paid by insurance companies by policy year for indemnity claims, medical-only claims and both claim types combined. The cost figures for indemnity claims and for all claims combined are rounded to the nearest $10. The numbers are adjusted for wage growth to standardize the cost of benefits over time. If average benefits per claim were to double while average wages also doubled, there would be no change in benefits relative to payroll. Furthermore, wage growth contributes to the growth of indemnity and medical costs, because most indemnity costs are tied to wages (the exception being PPD benefits), and medical costs -- to a large degree -- change with general wages and prices. Since the medical fee schedule revision in 1993, maximum medical fees have been tied to the statewide average weekly wage (SAWW). The average claim costs in this figure are expressed in terms of 2002 wage-dollars (see footnote in figure).

Average weekly wage-replacement benefits
This figure shows the average weekly amounts of temporary total disability/permanent total disability (TTD/PTD) and temporary partial disability (TPD) benefits by year of injury. The benefits are adjusted for growth in the statewide average weekly wage (SAWW).

B

Benefit costs per $100 of covered payroll
This figure shows trends in insured benefit costs -- indemnity, medical and total -- per $100 of covered payroll in the voluntary market. The Minnesota Workers' Compensation Insurers Association (MWCIA) uses the loss data behind these numbers to derive the annual changes in Minnesota’s pure premium rates, set forth in the annual Minnesota Ratemaking Report. However, in that process, the MWCIA compares losses to pure premium, rather than to payroll, as is done here.

C

Claimant attorney fees
This figure presents data about claimant attorney involvement and associated fees by year of injury. The numbers are "developed," meaning they are projections of what the numbers will be at full claim-maturity.

Cost of workers' compensation
This figure shows the estimated total cost of Minnesota workers’ compensation, in absolute terms and relative to payroll. The numbers include insured and self-insured employers. They are computed primarily from written premium for insured employers and pure premium (with adjustments) for self-insureds (see footnote in figure). Written premium -- the "bottom line" premium insurers charge employers for policies written within a period -- is based on insurers’ filed rates, but is adjusted to reflect employers’ individual characteristics, such as safety programs. Fundamentally, total system cost reflects indemnity benefits, medical treatment, rehabilitation, claims adjustment, litigation, insurance brokerage, overhead, assessments and taxes (primarily the Special Compensation Fund assessment), and profit.

D

E

Employment status
These figures show the distribution of indemnity claimants by employment status. Volunteer employment is excluded, because it makes up a small percentage of the total.

F

Fatal work-injuries
This figure shows all fatal work-injuries in the private and public sectors from the national Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI), conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics with state and other federal agencies.