• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
LeadershipFuture of Work

Workplace deaths likely to reach highest level since 2008

Claire Zillman
By
Claire Zillman
Claire Zillman
Editor, Leadership
Down Arrow Button Icon
Claire Zillman
By
Claire Zillman
Claire Zillman
Editor, Leadership
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 17, 2015, 2:40 PM ET
Dixie Chopper Lawnmower Production Ahead of Durable Goods Figures
A worker welds a lawnmower frame together on the assembly line at the Dixie Chopper manufacturing facility in Coatesville, Indiana, U.S., on Friday, June 12, 2015. The U.S. Census Bureau is scheduled to release durable goods figures on June 23. Photographer: Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesPhotograph by Luke Sharrett — Bloomberg via Getty Images

New data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics release Thursday indicates that workplace deaths could reach their highest level since 2008.

The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries found that 4,679 workers suffered fatal injuries in 2014. That figure will be undergo a final revision in the spring of 2016, when the BLS will likely add a few hundred deaths to that estimate. That means the total for 2014 is likely to surpass the 4,700 recorded in 2009 and 2010, according to The Wall Street Journal.

That said, the number of deaths per 100,000 workers—3.3—stayed steady from 2013 to 2014.

The BLS said that falls, slips, and trip accidents that resulted in deaths increased 10% to 793 in 2014. There were also more fatalities in mining (up 17%), agriculture (14%), manufacturing (9%), and construction (6%), while at-work deaths for government workers were down 12%.

Women incurred 13% more fatal work injuries in 2014 versus the previous year, yet they made up just 8% of workplace deaths.

After increasing for several years, fatal occupational injuries among Hispanic or Latino workers dropped in 2014 as those among white, African American, and Asian workers rose.

Subscribe to Power Sheet, Fortune’s daily newsletter on leaders and leadership.

About the Author
Claire Zillman
By Claire ZillmanEditor, Leadership
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Claire Zillman is a senior editor at Fortune, overseeing leadership stories. 

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Leadership

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Leadership

Addiction, emotional distress, dread of dull tasks: AI models ‘seem to increasingly behave’ as though they’re sentient, worrying study shows
AIScience
Addiction, emotional distress, dread of dull tasks: AI models ‘seem to increasingly behave’ as though they’re sentient, worrying study shows
By Catherina GioinoMay 7, 2026
4 minutes ago
trump
CommentaryMedicare
Auto-enrollment in Medicare Advantage isn’t a nudge. It’s a trap
By Brian KeyserMay 7, 2026
2 hours ago
nyse
CommentaryAI agents
Your trusted advocate or your rebellious Frankenstein: how you deploy agentic AI determines which one you get
By Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Stephen Henriques, Yevheniia Podurets and Jasmine GarryMay 7, 2026
2 hours ago
Svein Tore Holsether, chief executive officer of Yara International
EuropeLetter from London
“Full blast”—Yara CEO says there is only one way to respond to the crisis in the Gulf: do everything better
By Kamal AhmedMay 7, 2026
2 hours ago
President Donald Trump after signing executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House on April 30, 2026 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
NewslettersFortune Tech
Trump’s AI policies sound oh so familiar
By Andrew NuscaMay 7, 2026
3 hours ago
Silicon Valley’s ‘player‑coach’ fantasy misses the point of good managers
NewslettersCEO Daily
Silicon Valley’s ‘player‑coach’ fantasy misses the point of good managers
By Diane BradyMay 7, 2026
4 hours ago

Most Popular

A Michigan farm town voted down plans for a giant OpenAI-Oracle data center. Weeks later, construction began
Magazine
A Michigan farm town voted down plans for a giant OpenAI-Oracle data center. Weeks later, construction began
By Sharon GoldmanMay 6, 2026
1 day ago
Tokyo is throwing out its strict office dress code and asking workers to wear shorts amid the war in Iran energy crisis
Success
Tokyo is throwing out its strict office dress code and asking workers to wear shorts amid the war in Iran energy crisis
By Emma BurleighMay 5, 2026
2 days ago
Mark Zuckerberg once gave a Facebook engineer startup advice at 2 a.m. while 'hanging out with all the interns'—she quit and raised millions after
Success
Mark Zuckerberg once gave a Facebook engineer startup advice at 2 a.m. while 'hanging out with all the interns'—she quit and raised millions after
By Orianna Rosa RoyleMay 6, 2026
20 hours ago
Economists have found an answer to slowing cognitive decline: avoid retiring early, study finds
Economy
Economists have found an answer to slowing cognitive decline: avoid retiring early, study finds
By Sasha RogelbergMay 5, 2026
2 days ago
AI could solve America's $39 trillion debt crisis—but only if Washington abandons displaced workers, Yale Budget Lab warns
Economy
AI could solve America's $39 trillion debt crisis—but only if Washington abandons displaced workers, Yale Budget Lab warns
By Jake AngeloMay 6, 2026
21 hours ago
The IRS may owe COVID-era refunds to tens of millions of taxpayers. Here’s who could qualify
Personal Finance
The IRS may owe COVID-era refunds to tens of millions of taxpayers. Here’s who could qualify
By Sydney LakeMay 6, 2026
23 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.