OBJECTIVES: COPD negatively impacts the workplace due to lost productivity and the increased healthcare expenditures that employees with this progressive disease incur. However, the burden of COPD on employers has not been extensively studied. This study describes changes in the epidemiology of COPD that suggest the need to address disease burden in the workplace. METHODS: This study used a longitudinal retrospective cohort. Health care claims from a single, large self-insured employer group in Minnesota was used. The database included claims for more than 10,000 employees and their dependents. The study time frame was from January, 2010 through December, 2013. Insured persons with COPD were identified using ICD-9 diagnosis codes defined by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Demographic variables were used to compare the COPD cohort results to reported estimates of COPD epidemiology in Minnesota and the US. RESULTS: CONCLUSIONS: The changing epidemiology of COPD from older to younger aged employees will place heavier economic burden on employers. While past studies reported COPD prevalence greater among men than women, this study found a higher prevalence among female employees. These findings suggest workplace wellness programs that are directed toward younger, female employees, and workplace policies to improve health and lower costs for this changing COPD population.