Construction workers more likely to commit suicide than any other occupation
Construction workers are four times more likely to commit 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 suicide than on-the-job injuries, according to leaders of the Building Trade Employers’ Association’s New York chapter, which shared the grim statistics during the group’s SAFEBUILD conference in Midtown Thursday.
More than 6,000 construction workers died of suicide across the country in 2022, according to Center for Disease Control data.
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 data shows.
Former Queens City Councilwoman 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 workers.
“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,” Crowley told The Post. “That 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.”
If you have been sexually assaulted and live in New York, you can call 1-800-942-6906 for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the state, you can dial the 24/7 National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673.
