Injuries, ill-health, and fatalities in young workers

Young workers are a vulnerable group and more at risk of injury and ill-health.

The number of young workers, aged between 15 and 24 years in New Zealand has continually increased in the last 20 years. Current estimates suggest that we have over 600,000 young workers in the workplace. Within this group, 40% of all employed young people are in part-time employment, and one third work in the retail trade, accommodation and food services sector.

Second-highest rate of injury claims

In relation to workplace health and safety, young workers have the second-highest rate of work-related injury claims at a rate of 133 claims per 1000 full time employees.

Data from 2019 identifies that the trade industry had 41,500 claims by young workers. When workplace fatalities are examined, from 2019 to 2023, 27 young workers have died while being at work.

International research identifies the same issues around young workers being more vulnerable to accidental injuries and work-related illnesses. While these include exposure to physical risks including heavy lifting, stress and psychosocial risks, bullying at work is also a major risk to young worker’s psychosocial health and safety (Clarkson et al 2018).

These high numbers  indicate that young workers need specialised support to maintain their health and safety at work.