Hazardous Duty Pay

Writing for Investor’s Business Daily, John Merline reports data reflecting the different occupational choices made by men and women.

In 2015, for example, there were 4,836 workplace deaths, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Of those, 4,492 were men, and 344 were women. In other words, men suffered 93% of workplace fatalities that year. This wasn't some aberration. From 2011 through 2015, men accounted for 92.5% of all workplace deaths.

This huge gap has nothing to do with discrimination, of course. It has everything to do with the type of jobs men and women voluntarily choose to take.

The most dangerous professions — logging, fishing, pilots, roofers, garbage collectors, and so on — are all dominated by men. Low-risk occupations — administrative support, health care, education — tend to be dominated by women.

Next time someone complains to you about the men-women pay gap, give them a three word answer - hazardous duty pay. Anybody want to argue dangerous, dirty jobs don’t need doing? I didn’t think so.