Construction workers are four times more likely to commit suicide than the average American and more likely to commit suicide than any other occupation, a major industry group has warned.
Helmet wearers are a staggering six times more likely to die from suicide than from injuries on the job, according to leaders of the New York chapter of the Construction Employers Association, who presented the grim statistic Thursday at the association’s SAFEBUILD conference in Midtown.
In 2022, more than 6,000 construction workers committed suicide across the country. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
About 50 construction workers per 100,000 committed suicide, and about 25 women per 100,000 committed suicide, the highest rates of any “occupational group.” The data shows.
Elizabeth Crowley, a former Queens city council member and president of the New York BTEA, said the group plans to lobby aggressively for industry reforms to protect construction workers from harm, such as requiring naloxone to be available on large construction sites and incorporating mental health into mandatory worker safety training programs.
“We’re talking about a male-dominated industry that has long viewed mental health issues as a sign of weakness, leading workers to often keep their issues internalized,” Crowley told The Post. “This can be harmful when you’re working long, demanding hours in a tough environment, facing tight deadlines and not knowing when your next job will come.”
If you live in New York State and have been sexually assaulted, you can receive free, confidential crisis counseling by calling 1-800-942-6906. If you live outside of New York State, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at 1-800-656-4673.
