There were 500 workplace homicides in the United States in 2016

Homicides accounted for 10 percent of all fatal occupational injuries in the United States in 2016. There were 500 workplace homicides in 2016, an increase of 83 cases from 2015. The 2016 total was the highest since 2010. Of the workplace homicides in 2016, 409 (82 percent) were homicides to men and 91 (18 percent) were homicides to women. Homicides represented 24 percent of fatal occupational injuries to women in 2016 compared with 9 percent of fatal occupational injuries to men.

Relatives or domestic partners were the most frequent assailant in work-related homicides of women (40 percent) but accounted for 2 percent of assailants in homicides of men. Robbers were the most common assailant in work-related homicides of men (33 percent, compared with 16 percent in homicides of women).

Cashiers incurred the largest number of workplace homicides in 2016 (54 homicides, up from 35 in 2015). Other occupations with high numbers of homicides were first-line supervisors of retail sales workers (50 homicides, up from 40 in 2015) and police and sheriff’s patrol officers (50 homicides, up from 34 in 2015).

Shootings accounted for 394 workplace homicides in 2016 (79 percent of the total). Stabbing, cutting, slashing, and piercing incidents accounted for another 38 homicides (8 percent of the total). Hitting, kicking, beating, shoving accounted for 35 workplace homicides in 2016 (7 percent of the total).

These data are from the Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities program. For more information, see our fact sheet on workplace homicides and our data table. For more on workplace homicides among police officers, see our fact sheets on police officers and emergency responders.