Skilled trades occupations were among four major occupation groups, which have statistically significantly higher rates of deaths in men involving COVID-19, when compared to the rate of the virus among men of the same age in the population.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) found the four major occupations were, plant and machine operatives (52.8 deaths per 100,000 males), skilled trades occupations, such as roofers (40.4 deaths per 100,000 males), sales and customer service occupations (40.3 deaths per 100,000 males), and administrative and secretarial occupations (39.0 deaths per 100,000 males).
Analysis of coronavirus-related deaths by occupation in England and Wales, registered between 9 March, 2020 and 28 December, 2020, show they experienced 66.3 and 64.1 deaths per 100,000 males, respectively.
The analysis concerns those of working age between 20 and 64 years, and deaths involving COVID-19 includes those where the virus was the underlying cause of death or a factor that contributed to the death.
Commenting on the statistics, Ben Humberstone, head of health analysis and life events at the ONS, said: “The analysis shows that jobs with regular exposure to COVID-19 and those working in close proximity to others continue to have higher COVID-19 death rates when compared with the rest of the working age population. Men continue to have higher rates of death than women, making up nearly two thirds of these deaths.”
Ben continued: “As the pandemic has progressed, we have learnt more about the disease and the communities it impacts most. There are a complex combination of factors that influence the risk of death; from your age and your ethnicity, where you live and who you live with, to pre-existing health conditions. Our findings do not prove that the rates of death involving COVID-19 are caused by differences in occupational exposure.”
