Workers in their teens and early 20s are more likely to get hurt than older employees

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Diane Rohlman, University of Iowa

(THE CONVERSATION) Think about your first job. Maybe it was delivering pizza, bagging groceries, busing tables or doing landscaping work. Did you get enough training to avoid potential injuries? Chances are, you didn’t – and your boss or supervisor just told you to get to work.

Employing young people helps them in many ways. They can learn a trade, develop job skills, become more responsible and earn money. But there’s danger, too: Americans between 15 and 24 years old are up to 2.3 times more likely to get injured on the job than workers who are 25 and over.

In 2021, 398 workers under 25 died after getting injured on the job.

In my research about the unique occupational safety hazards young workers face, I’ve identified three common causes of this susceptibility to injury: their lack of experience, developing bodies and brains, and reluctance to speak up.

Physical and cognitive limitations

The 19 million young people employed today make up approximately 13% of the U.S. workforce.

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