New York construction deaths fell considerably in 2024, when 55 workers died on job sites across the state, down from the year before, when 74 deaths were recorded, according to the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH) annual construction fatality report.

Since 2015, 587 construction workers have died on the job statewide.

In New York City, 19 construction workers died in 2024, following 30 deaths in 2023, the highest single-year total in the city in the decade covered by the report.

The 2026 report examines the latest construction fatality data, uncovering systemic safety failures that continue to place workers at risk, particularly immigrant and Latinx workers, likely due to language barriers, job insecurity, limited access to safety training or worker protections, and heightened fear of retaliation.

OSHA inspections have not recovered from pre-pandemic levels, according to the report, with federal oversight still reduced across New York State.

In 2025, OSHA conducted 3,162 inspections, representing a 7.3% decrease from 3,411 inspections in 2024, and a 29.1% decrease compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019 (4,455 inspections).

New York City’s fatality rate was 11.6 per 100,000 in 2023, compared with 9.4 per 100,000 in 2024. Similarly, New York State reported 10.4 per 100,000 in 2023 and 8.9 per 100,000 in 2024.

Latinx workers make up a disproportionately high percentage of worker fatalities in New York. An estimated 18.6% of New York State’s workers are Latinx, and in 2024, 25.8% of total worker fatalities were of Latinx workers.

Another area of concern was non-union job sites deemed especially dangerous, the report found.

Analysis of the OSHA’s 31 New York State-based construction fatality investigations in 2024 found that in New York State, 81% of the construction workers who died were non-union.

Fine amounts for fatalities decreased, with the average fine amount in 2024 being $25,295, down from $32,123 in 2023. This is the lowest average fine amount since 2017.

Nearly 77% of worksites where a worker died also had OSHA violations identified during the inspection, according to the report, which also found that government subsidies didn’t end even as violations or worse occurred.

The state’s occupational health safety committee offers recommendations to improve job site safety. These include mandating construction safety training in other municipalities that mirror New York City’s requirements, prosecuting negligent contractors statewide, suspending or revoking licenses of negligent contractors, and reforming subsidy procurement.