Suicides among construction workers in the United States, 2021

Construction workers have the second highest suicide death rate; despite this, there is limited literature examining suicides in the industry, which is necessary to identify those at higher risk of death by suicide. The objective of this study was to examine the characteristics of those who died by suicide in construction to address this knowledge gap.

Data from the National Center for Health Statistics National Vital Statistics System 2021 public use Mortality Multiple Cause-of-Death file were used to identify deaths by suicide, while denominator data for rates come from the 2021 Current Population Survey.

In 2021, construction workers were disproportionately affected by suicide deaths. Almost a fifth (17.9%) of deaths by suicide with a reported industry code were in construction, despite construction workers accounting for only 7.4% of the workforce. Male construction workers accounted for a majority (97.8%) of suicide deaths. The highest percent of deaths by suicide were among individuals who were white, non-Hispanic, completed high school or equivalent, and single, across construction and all industries for males and females.

Male and female construction workers had the highest rates of suicide across all characteristics when compared to all industries. Our findings support the need for ongoing prevention efforts within the industry. Future research is needed to understand suicide risk among certain characteristics and occupations. In addition, the work environment or other work-related factors should be studied to understand how the unique nature of the construction industry may be associated with higher suicide rates.