Early Death Risks Higher For Manual Workers

Men in routine and manual occupations are more than twice as likely to face an early death than those who are in managerial or professional jobs, according to new figures released by the Office for National Statistics.

In 2001, a worker in a routine or manual occupation was twice as likely as his manager to die before the age of 65, but in 2008 that ratio had risen to 2.3.

Trends in social inequalities in male mortality, 2001-08 is the first time that annual comparative mortality statistics have been published. These groups are analysed using the seven classes of the National Statistics Socio-economic Classification (NS-SEC):

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Higher managerial and professional e.g. senior local and national government officials, civil engineers, doctors
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Lower managerial and professional – teachers, social workers, nurses.
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Intermediate – non commissioned officers in the forces, clerical officers, counter clerks
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Small employers and own account workers – shopkeepers, farmers, self-employed taxi drivers
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Lower supervisory and technical – bakers, plumbers, gardeners.
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Semi-routine – traffic wardens, scaffolders, farm workers.
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Routine – labourers, bus drivers, cleaners.

Myer Glickman, Head of Health Analysis at ONS, said: "Previously these mortality rates were only produced every 10 years using the national census but are now produced for eight consecutive years in Health Statistics Quarterly, also published today by ONS. They will now give a much more up to date picture of health trends and will be an invaluable aid to monitoring social inequalities in health."

A spokesperson for the Health and Safety Executive said: “It’s clear that the health and safety of workers in some industries is more at risk than in others. It’s important that organisations take their responsibilities for the safety of their staff seriously.”