Construction workers more likely to commit suicide than any other occupation
Construction workers are four times more lâikely to cŕ´ommit suicide than the average American — and more than any other occupation, a top trade group warned.
Hardhats are also a whopping six times more likely to die from suicideđ than on-the-job injuries, according to leaders of the Building Trade Employersâ Associationâs New York chapter, which shared thđŤe grim statistics during the groupâs SAFEBUILD conference in Midtown Thursday.
More than 6,000 construction workers died of suicide across theÜŤ country in 2022,
Nearly 50 per 100,000 male construction workers killed themselves, as did roughly 25 per 100,000 female workers — tops of any “occupational group,” the
Former Queens City Councilwâąoman Elizabeth Crowley, who heads BTEA of New York, said her group plans to lobby hard for industry reforms to protect construction workers from themselves, including requiring naloxone be available on large construction sites to help treat overdoses and making mental wellness part of mandatory safety-training programs for worđkers.
“We are talking about a male-dominated industry that has long viewed mental health struggles as a mark of weakness, so workers typically just keep their internal problems bottled up,â Crowley told The Post. âThat approach can turn toxic when you are working long, grueling hours in harsh conditions, all while facing strict deadlines and uncertainty about when your next job will come.â
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