The Toll of Neglect: Workplace Fatalities by the Numbers

The AFL-CIO’s latest annual report, Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect (2025), paints a grim picture of workplace safety in the United States. Despite advancements in technology, regulations, and awareness, far too many workers are still dying on the job — and many of these deaths are preventable.

According to the report, 5,283 workers died from job-related traumatic injuries in 2023 — the most recent year with complete data — equating to nearly 15 deaths every day. This is only a slight decrease from the year prior, highlighting a troubling lack of progress.

Who’s Most at Risk?

• Transportation and material moving workers accounted for the most fatalities, with over 1,620 deaths — nearly one-third of all workplace deaths.
• Construction and extraction occupations followed closely with 1,056 deaths.
• Latino workers continued to face a disproportionate risk, with a fatality rate of 4.6 per 100,000 workers, significantly higher than the national average.
• Older workers (ages 65 and up) also saw a spike in fatalities, likely due to a growing number of older adults staying in the workforce.

The overall fatality rate across all industries was 3.7 deaths per 100,000 workers — a figure that has remained largely unchanged over the past decade.

The Bigger Picture

The report emphasizes that these numbers don’t tell the full story. Fatalities are just the tip of the iceberg — they don’t include long-term illnesses caused by toxic exposure, mental health impacts, or injuries that result in permanent disability.

In fact, the AFL-CIO estimates that 120,000 workers die each year from occupational diseases, and millions more suffer from job-related injuries or illnesses that go uncounted in official statistics.

A System Under Strain

One major concern raised by the report is OSHA’s enforcement capacity. In 2023, there were only 752 federal OSHA inspectors responsible for overseeing safety at over 10.8 million workplaces. That’s about one inspector for every 14,500 workers.

At this rate, it would take 190 years for OSHA to inspect every workplace under its jurisdiction just once. The report calls this level of oversight “grossly inadequate.”

What Safety Professionals Can Do

The takeaway for safety professionals is clear: waiting for inspections or relying on compliance alone isn’t enough. A strong, proactive safety culture must be led from within — through training, hazard analysis, and regular engagement with workers.

Use these statistics to drive conversations in your workplace. Focus on risk areas where your team may be most vulnerable. Emphasize that behind every number is a person — someone’s coworker, family member, or friend.

The real toll of neglect isn’t just measured in reports. It’s measured in lives cut short and families forever changed.