What is the most dangerous job?

What qualifies as the most dangerous line of work in the country depends on how you ask the question.

For example, by the raw number of workplace deaths, construction is the most dangerous industry. Over the past decade, construction workers have consistently suffered the highest volume of fatal work-related injuries when compared to other industries.

However, the raw numbers do not tell the whole story. There are more deaths among construction workers in part because there are more of these employees in the workforce.

When looking at how frequently work-related deaths occur, people who work in agriculture and related trades, including fishing, have held the unwanted distinction of being the most dangerous job for a long time.

Mining and transportation and warehousing round out the top 3 industries on this list.

Not all serious work-related injuries are deadly

It is also important for people in the New York City area to remember that a work-related injury or illness does not have to be fatal in order to be serious. Sometimes, workplace incidents can leave a worker permanently disabled or facing a long-term recovery.

Employees frequently have to take some time off work to recover from an on-the-job illness or injury.

With the exception of 2020, which was an unusual year in many respects, workers in the transportation and warehousing industry suffered non-fatal injuries and illnesses at the highest rate.

Other industries which consistently had high rates of illness and injury at work include retail sales, medical and educational services, construction, government service and agriculture, including commercial fishing or forestry.

Whether a New Yorker works in an occupation that is known to be dangerous or not, there is always a risk of a work-related injury. If a worker does get hurt or sick on the job, they do have the right to request workers’ compensation benefits and should consider exercising it.