Fatal Work Injuries by Demographic Characteristics

BLS Gov, Mar 16, 2008

Fatal work injuries involving female workers increased 5 percent in 2006 after declining the past two years.  Despite the increase, the 428 fatal work injuries involving female workers was the third lowest annual total for female workers in the 15 years of the fatality census.  The number and rate of fatal injury among male workers were both lower in 2006.

The 937 fatal work injuries among Hispanic or Latino workers in 2006 was up from the 923 fatal work injuries in 2005 and represented the largest annual total since the fatality census began in 1992.  Due to increased employment, however, the fatality rate for Hispanic or Latino workers was lower (4.7 fatalities per 100,000 workers in 2006 versus 4.9 per 100,000 in 2005).

Among foreign-born Hispanic or Latino workers, fatalities decreased slightly after reaching a series high in 2005.  Fatalities among White workers, Black or African-American workers, and Asian, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander workers were all lower.

The number of fatal work injuries among workers younger than 25 years of age decreased 9 percent (516 in 2006 versus 568 in 2005).  Fatality rates were also lower, especially for workers 16 to 17 years of age, whose fatality rates declined 40 percent.  Fatal work injuries among workers 55 years of age or older were slightly higher in 2006, but the fatality rate for this group of workers was lower, reflecting the growing number of older workers in the workforce.

Fatalities among self-employed workers were down for the second straight year and represented the lowest annual total in the history of the fatality census.  The rate of fatal injury among self-employed workers fell to 9.4 fatalities per 100,000 workers, down from 10.7 per 100,000 in 2005.  Fatalities among wage and salary workers rose 2 percent in 2006, but the rate of fatal injury for wage and salary workers was unchanged from 2005.