More Older Americans Are on the Job -- and Dying There Too

A U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) survey estimated that 5,250 deaths occurred on the job in 2018 versus 5,147 in 2017, reports Bloomberg . Workplace fatalities have risen for six of the last nine years, and one contributing factor is an increasing number of Americans older than 55 who are working — and people over 55 are more likely to die on the job than younger employees. The labor force participation rate among those 65 and older has climbed from a low of 10.4 percent in 1985 to 20.3 percent today, while the rate among those 75 and older has increased from 4 percent to 9.7 percent. The workforce share of "65-plusers" has grown 0.3 percent since 2006, while their occupational fatality rate stood at 10.3 in 2018. A Monthly Labor Review by BLS economists Sean M. Smith and Stephen M. Pegula found that employees 55 and older were more likely than younger workers to die of lingering injuries days, weeks, months, or even years after a workplace incident. They also are frailer and more likely to suffer certain injuries like hip fractures. Smith and Pegula hope that these and other findings will help health and safety experts "tailor their efforts to best meet the needs of older workers and to keep them safe during their careers."