Young Worker Safety and Health
Young workers have high rates of job-related injury. These injuries are often the result of the many hazards present in the places they typically work, such as sharp knives and slippery floors in restaurants. Limited or no prior work experience and a lack of safety training also contribute to high injury rates. Middle and high school workers may be at increased risk for injury since they may not have the strength or cognitive ability needed to perform certain job duties.
Fast Stats:
- In 2020, there were about 17.3 million workers under the age of 25. These workers represented 11.7% of the total workforce1.
- In 2020, 352 workers under the age of 25 died from work-related injuries2.
- In 2020, there were 26 deaths to workers under 18 years of age2.
- In 2020, the incidence rate for non-fatal injuries for workers, ages 16–19, was 149.8 per 10,000 full-time employees (FTE) and 141.8 per 10,000 FTE for workers, ages 20–243.
- In 2020, the rate of work-related injuries treated in emergency departments for workers, ages 15–24, was 1.5 times greater than the rate for workers 25 years of age and older4.
- MMWR: Nonfatal Occupational Injuries to Younger Worker – United States, 2012-2018
- Young Worker Injury Deaths: A Historical Summary of Surveillance and Investigative Findings
- “Getting Hurt is Not in Your Job Description,” a social media campaign by the Massachusetts Department of Youth Employment and Safety Team
- Foundational workplace safety and health competencies for the emerging workforce
- Staying Safe at Work. A curriculum for teaching workers with intellectual and development disabilities (IDDs) about health and safety on the job.
- Youth@Work: Talking Safety. A free, fun, foundational curriculum in workplace safety and health.
- Safe • Skilled • Ready Workforce Program
1 NIOSH (2022). Analysis of the Current Population Survey. Morgantown, WV: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Unpublished.
2 Bureau of Labor Statistics (2022). Table A-7. Fatal occupational injuries by worker characteristics and event or exposure, all United States, 2020.
3 Bureau of Labor Statistics (2022). Case and Demographic Incidence Rates (bls.gov).
4 NIOSH (2022). Work-RISQS Number query (cdc.gov).