On Workers Memorial Day 2026 and beyond, the following are some key points from the 35th annual AFL-CIO “Death on the Job” report, a comprehensive analysis of safety and health protections for America’s workers. This report features national and state information on workplace fatalities, injuries and illnesses, as well as workplace safety inspections, penalties, funding, staffing and public employee coverage under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act). The act established the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Findings include:

· Workplace hazards kill approximately 140,000 workers each year in the United States—more than 380 workers each day.

· 5,070 workers died from traumatic injury on the job in 2024, the latest year of data available, and an estimated 135,000 died from occupational diseases. An estimated 530 workers died from heat alone.

· 109 Wisconsin workers died on the job in 2024 and some 57,500 workers suffered serious injury or illness. The average penalty for a serious workplace violation was $4,396 in Wisconsin. With 30 OSHA inspectors for the state, it would take OSHA 131 years to inspect every workplace.

· Black workers still die on the job at a disproportionately higher rate than the national average.

· Latino workers continue to face the greatest risk of dying on the job in 2024, at a rate 30% higher than the national average. Of the Latino workers who died, 68.5% were immigrants, a larger percentage than in previous years.

· The rate of young worker deaths has nearly doubled since 2020, and workers ages 65 and older are nearly three times as likely to die on the job than other workers.

· Underreporting is widespread, and the true toll of work-related injuries and illnesses is estimated to be between 5.0 million and 7.5 million each year in private industry.

“Together on this Workers Memorial Day, we don’t just mourn, we step forward to hold the line for safe jobs,” said Wisconsin AFL-CIO President Stephanie Bloomingdale. “A seat at the bargaining table can be a matter of life or death in the workplace, securing a better livelihood and safer future for workers and our families. In the labor movement, we stand together to hold employers accountable to keep workers safe. We demand dignity and safety at work and we are sounding the alarm on workplace safety as we mourn and remember all workers killed on the job. Every worker deserves to come home safe at the end of each and every shift.”

The 2026 “Death on the Job” report is released the week of Workers Memorial Day (April 28), when the labor movement remembers workers who have lost their lives on the job and renews the fight to prevent these tragedies. The Wisconsin AFL-CIO and local labor councils will commemorate the lives of workers killed at work and call attention to the need for improved workplace safety and worker protections at local events on Tuesday, April 28, Workers Memorial Day

The entire report may be viewed here.

Sources: AFL-CIO, Wisconsin AFL-CIO, OSHA, Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), US Department of Labor, US Bureau of Labor Statistics