You work in a tough industry, one that demands strength, grit, and endurance. But while the physical toll of blue collar jobs is well known, the mental toll is often ignored. That silence comes at a deadly cost: mental health struggles are claiming the lives of too many workers across the trades.
The first step to changing this is awareness and the numbers make the need for action impossible to ignore.
Troubling Blue Collar Industry Stats
Construction Industry
- 83% of construction workers have experienced a mental health issue 1
- 90% of construction workers have experienced early childhood trauma 1
- 70% of construction workers have undiagnosed PTSD 1
- Of all U.S. industries, among men, construction has the highest rate of suicide 2
- Smoking, smokeless tobacco use, binge drinking, no leisure-time physical activity, and non-seatbelt usage is the highest amongst construction workers compared to other industries 3
Trucking Industry
- 1/5 U.S. truck drivers report suffering from depression 5
- 1/4 U.S. truck drivers report struggling with isolation 5
- Of 316 male truckers surveyed 4
- 27.9% suffered from loneliness
- 26.9% suffered from depression
- 20.6% experienced chronic sleep disturbances
- 14.5% had anxiety
- 13% had other emotional problems
Manufacturing Industry 6
- 1 in 10 workers report heavy alcohol usage
- 1 in 13 report illicit drug usage in the past month
- 1 in 11 report drug or alcohol dependence during the past year
- 54% know a coworker impacted by substance use or addiction 7
- 58% of employees reported work stress often impacts their personal relationships 8
- 36% more prevalent mental health issues in employees than the national average 9
If we want to keep workers safe, we can’t stop at physical safety and mental health must be part of the conversation.
