Workplace suicides on the increase

Tough economic conditions may have contributed to a 28% rise in workplace suicides in the US last year as employees struggled with layoffs and survivor's guilt, a new federal report says.

A Labour Department preliminary report said there were 251 workplace suicides in 2008, the highest number ever recorded.

"Those who are at places where there have been substantial layoffs are trying to cope with survivor's guilt," said Gary Chaison, a professor of industrial relations at Clark University. "I also think there's tremendous anxiety in the American workplace. It's not just being anxious, it's being depressed."

The total number of people who died on the job decreased 12% from 2007 to 2008. The 5 071 workplace deaths last year was the lowest number since the federal government started tracking the data in 1992.

The overall decline in workplace deaths could be due to the poor economy, which led to fewer hours for workers, according to the Labour Department.

Among the other findings:

• Workplace homicides decreased 18%.
• There was a 20% drop in construction job deaths.
• There were 20% fewer fatal workplace falls in 2008, following a record high number in 2007.

The final report will be released next year. – (HealthDay News, August 2009)

Read more:
Murder rises with unemployment rate