Fatal injuries in the agriculture industry are at their lowest number since 2013, according to a new report.
In 2021, there were 133 fatal work-related injuries to agricultural workers, 15 fewer than in 2020 and the lowest number since 128 in 2013, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Twenty-five of these fatal incidents involved motor vehicle crashes occurring off public roadways. One of every eight of these types of crash-related fatalities in the U.S. was to an agricultural worker in 2021.
More than 90% of the agricultural workers who were fatally injured at work in 2021 were men. White, non-Hispanic workers accounted for 71 of those fatalities. There were 52 Latino or Hispanic workers fatally injured during the same period.
As far as age is concerned, workers aged 55 and older accounted for more than 40% of the 2021 fatalities. Twenty-nine of these were 55 to 64 years old and another 29 were 65 and older.
Thirty-two of all agricultural workers fatally injured at work were self-employed.
There have been 1,542 fatal injuries to agricultural workers since 2012 with the highest number occurring in 2019 when the total hit 183.
This information comes from the BLS Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities program and was reported in the agency’s The Economics Daily blog.
