State data show elevated suicide rates in construction, agriculture and select service occupations

Dave, a department clinician presenting Washington-specific suicide data, told the committee the analysis uses death certificate coding by industry and occupation for the working-age population over a 10-year period. "Construction and extraction occupations have 2.85 times the rate of all other occupations combined," he said, and he highlighted pronounced differences by sex and by race and ethnicity.

The presentation broke down risk by demographic groups and occupation. Dave said men have roughly three times the suicide rate of women and noted that some occupations with high Hispanic representation (for example, farming, forestry and fishing) may show lower rates because Hispanic workers tend to have lower average suicide rates. He also pointed out higher rates among American Indian populations. The presenter cited the Washington State Department of Health Suicide Prevention Plan and the National Violent Death Reporting System as complementary data sources.

Why it matters: the department framed the findings as actionable for employers and prevention partners. Dave said the goal is to publish the detailed data and engage state partners, including the Department of Health and industry groups, to inform workplace prevention programs. Representatives from construction and trucking industry groups acknowledged the value of state-specific data and asked about links to substance use and testing programs; Dave said death-certificate data do not capture all contributing factors and that staff would consult the National Violent Death Reporting System and other sources to explore connections such as substance use.

What happens next: the department said it will publish the full analysis and coordinate with state prevention partners and industry organizations so employers can use the findings to guide workplace mental-health and suicide-prevention efforts.