Graph of the Week
By: James L. Nuzzo
Published: Jan 7, 2025
This week’s graph illustrates the number of men and women in the United States (U.S.) who died from injuries sustained at work between 1992-2023.
Key Points
Each year, about 10-12 times more men than women die from injuries sustained at work.
Between 1992-2023, the average yearly number of men and women who died from workplace injuries was 5,062 and 426, respectively.
Over this time, 161,970 men and 13,628 women died from injuries sustained at work.
Since 1992, men have made up 92.2% of cases of fatal occupational injuries.
*Nuzzo note: For 2001, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics decided not to include workplace fatalities resulting from the terrorist attacks on September 11. In my opinion, this exclusion is not scientifically credible. Inclusion of these data would cause 2001 to be an outlier, but so be it. There is no valid reason for excluding these data given that the emergency responders were performing their jobs (i.e., responding to an emergency) when their deaths occurred.
Sources: Data in the graph were extracted from final tables published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Bonus Commentary
Workplace death is primarily a men’s health issue. Yet, rarely do we hear it communicated as a men’s issue. Not only does this show a lack of empathy for men but it also shows a lack of appreciation for the type of work that men do. If 10 times more women than men were dying due to workplace injuries, we would probably hear about it constantly – how it is a major societal issue, how significant funds should be invested into workplace technologies to reduce fatalities, how we should establish a day of observation for those who died on the job, etc.
