Using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS),Visual Capitalist's Dorothy Neufeldcreated the following map to showworkplace fatality rates across all 50 states in 2024.
Wyoming recorded the nation’s highest workplace fatality rate at 13.9 deaths per 100,000 workers, compared with just 1.1 in Rhode Island.
Several Southern and Mountain West states also reported rates well above the national average of 3.3.
The state-level divide highlights howworkplace risk remains concentrated in specific industries and regionsacross the U.S. economy.
In states like Wyoming and North Dakota, oil and gas extraction remains a major source of employment. These industries often involve remote job sites, heavy equipment, long shifts, and hazardous operating conditions.
The concentration is especially visible in the data. Roughly 30% of Wyoming’s workplace deaths in 2024 occurred in natural resources and mining, while the industry accounted for nearly half of all workplace fatalities in North Dakota.
Agriculture and logging also contribute to elevated fatality rates across several rural states. Workers in these industries routinely operate large equipment, work outdoors in extreme conditions, and travel long distances on rural roads.
The national workplace fatality rate stood at3.3 deathsper 100,000 workers in 2024, meaning several states recorded rates nearly double the U.S. average.
Transportation incidents remain one of the leading causes of workplace deaths in the country.
States positioned along major freight and energy corridors often see higher concentrations of long-haul trucking, industrial transport, and warehouse activity. That includes parts of the South, Great Plains, and Mountain West.
Source: ZeroHedge News
