News Notes: Workplace Deaths Are Down, But Homicides Rose In 2000

Data just released by the U.S. Labor Department show that in 2000 the annual fatality rate for U.S. workplaces dropped 2% to 5,195, an all-time low since the agency began keeping fatality statistics nearly a decade ago. However, while workplace deaths for white and black workers declined, fatality rates increased sharply for Hispanic workers, with a 24% jump in construction fatalities involving Hispanic employees. The workplace homicide rate was also up, with 677 homicides reported in 2000 compared with 651 the previous year. But the recent homicide total is still more than one-third lower than the 1994 record high of 1,080.