Work Is Killing Us: 120,000 Dead from Stress Each Year

• 120,000 U.S. deaths annually are tied to workplace stress

• 83% of workers say their job harms their mental health

• 72% have quit due to toxic work environments; 51% plan to leave now

• 82.5% of finance professionals report current burnout symptoms

• 90% of healthcare workers have experienced verbal or physical abuse

• Burnout costs: $1 trillion in lost productivity, 12 billion workdays lost

120,000 Americans are dying every year, not from disease or violence, but from workplace stress. That is the latest estimate from OSHA, and it is more than the annual death toll from Alzheimer’s, diabetes, or homicide.

A new nationwide analysis by Shegerian Conniff LLP reveals the staggering emotional and physical cost of workplace toxicity across U.S. industries. From burnout to abuse to untreated trauma, the modern job is silently eroding lives, and no sector is immune.

If you're reporting on mental health, public health, or workforce trends, this exclusive dataset ranks the most toxic industries based on burnout, psychological risk, and abuse exposure. It is supported by insights from APA, MHA, and McKinsey.

Workplace Toxicity by Industry: Burnout, Abuse, and Risk Index:

Industry	Burnout Rate	Abuse / Conflict	Toxicity Index	Generational Impact
Finance	82.5%	58.3% cite poor WLB	9.2 / 10	60% of Gen Z plan to exit the industry
Healthcare	65%	90% abuse exposure	9.5 / 10	PTSD symptoms rising among care staff
Tech	57%	41% of women were harassed	8.6 / 10	DEI fatigue, trust erosion among talent
Hospitality	64%	16% report mistreatment	8.3 / 10	Burnout driven by unpredictable scheduling
Construction	40% depression	60% report alcohol misuse	9.1 / 10	Suicide rate is 5 times higher than injury deaths

Finance leads the burnout rankings, with more than 82% of professionals emotionally exhausted and 58.3% citing poor work-life balance as the primary driver. Even more concerning, 60% of Gen Z finance workers say they would discourage others from joining the industry, signaling a complete generational rejection.

Healthcare paints a darker picture. 90% of workers have faced workplace abuse, while 65% report symptoms of burnout or depression. Emotional trauma and moral injury are increasingly common. The result is higher PTSD rates and growing risks to patient safety.

Tech shows high toxicity beneath its glossy surface. 57% report burnout, and 41% of women say they have faced harassment. DEI fatigue and loss of trust are accelerating brain drain. Despite high compensation, many top performers are quietly leaving.

Hospitality reports 64% burnout, driven by unstable hours and low recovery time. While abuse rates are lower than in other industries, the exhaustion from constant shift work is leading to turnover and declining service quality.

Construction is in crisis. 40% of workers report depression or anxiety, 60% report alcohol misuse, and suicide rates now exceed injury-related deaths by a factor of five. The cultural stigma around mental health in this industry is blocking intervention, putting thousands at risk.

With 120,000 Americans dying annually from work-induced stress and global productivity losses topping $1 trillion, this is one of the greatest threats to long-term workforce stability. The emotional toll has already eclipsed physical injury in many industries.

At the same time, younger employees are rejecting the system. 71% of Gen Z workers and 59% of Millennials report poor or very poor workplace mental health. Corporate wellness programs are stagnating. Fewer than 40% of companies meet the minimum standards for mental health support.

This is not just a wellness story. It is a story of broken systems, legal risk, and mass disengagement. The window for proactive coverage is narrowing fast.

Quote from Shegarian Conniff:

“Under workers’ compensation laws and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), employers are facing growing legal risk as workplace stress becomes a recognized trigger for diagnosable mental health conditions. With an estimated 120,000 deaths per year linked to work-induced stress, courts are beginning to treat psychological harm as a foreseeable consequence of employer negligence, especially when companies fail to implement basic mental health safeguards.”

“From our legal perspective, companies with a history of toxic culture are now more vulnerable to wrongful termination suits, harassment claims, and workers’ compensation payouts, particularly when those mental health injuries can be clearly tied to work conditions. Courts are increasingly asking whether employers made a good-faith effort to ensure psychological safety. If they didn’t, that omission may now be viewed as a breach of their legal duty of care.”

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Methodology:

• OSHA: Workplace safety benchmarks and stress-related occupational risks

• APA (American Psychological Association): Mental health disorder classifications & workplace stress studies

• Gallup: Workplace well-being, employee burnout, engagement trends

• MHA (Mental Health America): Annual workplace mental health reports

• McKinsey & Company: Organizational health, toxic culture, and workforce trends

• Workplace Wellness Index: Industry-level data on psychological safety and wellness adoption