The longer we do our jobs, the older we get. For older New Jersey workers, there is a higher risk of death. According to a new study that looked at workplace death statistics throughout the nation, older workers have a higher chance of dying on the job.

The Associated Press revealed in a recent analysis that death statistics for workers in the United States have decreased overall, but older workers have a higher risk of death. This fact is alarming considering that many baby boomers have decided to delay retirement and continue working beyond the age of 65.

The percentage of older workers in the labor force is growing

The U.S. government predicts that elderly workers will make up 25 percent of the labor force in our country by 2024. This is all well and good depending on the wishes and motivations of the individual worker involved. However, elderly workers need to remember that their bodies are not as strong or resilient in the event of an accident as they were when they were younger.

Older workers are more at risk of falling and suffering an injury on the job because their bodies could be less agile and more fragile. According to an epidemiologist from Colorado, getting older “could potentially make a workplace injury into a much more serious injury or a potentially fatal injury.”

According to gerontologists, the changes associated with aging include the worsening of hearing and vision, slower response times, chronic medical problems, balance issues, bone problems and issues related to arthritis.

National statistics show that 35 percent of fatal on-the-job accidents happened to workers above the age of 54. According to the numbers, 1,681 out of the 4,836 fatal workplace incidents that happened in 2015 involved older workers.

Did your loved one die in a New Jersey workplace accident?

The financial dependents — particularly the spouses — of New Jersey workers who died in fatal accidents may be entitled to receive workers’ compensation death benefits. If you lost a loved one in an on-the-job tragedy, you might want to learn more about your eligibility to receive these useful monetary benefits.