Author Description

During the past 32 years, major advances have been made in recognizing, evaluating, and preventing occupational injuries, illnesses, and deaths. All have declined significantly. Despite these changes, unnecessary morbidity and mortality from occupational health hazards remain a significant burden to our workers, their families, and employers. The costs to our national health care system and the economy are substantial. More than 146.5 million people make up the civilian labor force, and more than 137.7 million of them were employed in 2003 according to the U.S. Department of Labor. About 7.3 million of these workers held more than one job. The U.S. labor force is becoming older and more diverse, and the supply of labor and jobs is shifting from goods-producing industries to services. Use of temporary, contract, and contingent laborers has increased along with alternative work arrangements such as job sharing and part-time work. These changes in the labor force and the nature of work present new challenges to assuring the safety and health of Americans in the workplace. This 2004 edition of the Worker Health Chartbook builds on the foundation established in the first edition, published in 2000. The Chartbook is intended as a resource for technical and nontechnical audiences, including agencies, organizations, employers, researchers, workers, and others with a need to know about occupational injury, illness, and death.