The number of suicides attributed to construction occupations has risen year-on-year according to statistics from the ONS.
The figure constitutes a rise of 24 from the previous year and 25 more than the previous five-year average.
In 2017, the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity has been working with Glasgow Caledonian University to analyse the figures further. This year’s rise equates to 34 per 100,000 in employment – the highest rate since analysis began.
The research also identified that the number of suicides in construction rose from 26 to 34 per 100,000 in the seven years to 2021.
Commenting on the figures, Professor Billy Hare of GCU said: “Whilst it is unwise to react to a single year’s figures, the long-term rate of suicides is regrettably on an upward trajectory for those working in the construction industry, despite all the good work being done in recent years. This means we need to dig deeper to find and address the true root causes and take collective action sooner rather than later.”
The study conducted by GCU only relates to suicides in England and Wales. The rates for Scotland, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland remain unavailable.
The full report can be downloaded here.
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