Table 1.

Suicide rates for high-risk occupations (>20 suicides per 100 000 in either time period) that (a) increased and (b) decreased over time from 1979–1980 and 1982–1983 to 2001–2005: occupations are ranked by the size of the percentage increase or decrease in suicide rates

	1979–1980 and 1982–1983		2001–2005		% change in suicide ratea
	Number of suicides	Suicide rate per 100 000 worker-years	Number of suicides	Suicide rate per 100 000 worker-years
(a) Occupations with suicide rates that increased over time
Undertakers and mortuary assistants	–b	6.4	15	24.0	+274
Coal miners	163	25.0	43	81.0	+224
Labourers in building trades	201	19.7	680	59.1	+200
Plasterers	33	19.4	84	42.1	+117
Fork-lift truck drivers	54	16.2	113	27.7	+71.0
Artists	36	28.1	58	43.3	+54.2
Dustmen and refuse collectors	30	21.6	39	32.5	+50.0
Dockers and stevedores	23	20.2	15	30.1	+49.0
Road construction workers	25	19.1	39	28.0	+46.8
Butchers	50	16.1	50	23.4	+45.1
Market and street traders	14	17.8	28	25.5	+43.3
Carpenters	158	16.1	267	21.5	+33.8
Labourers in foundries	18	22.8	15	30.3	+33.1
Electricians	161	17.2	233	22.2	+28.8
Scaffolders, stagers and riggers	35	25.9	47	33.0	+27.4
Rail transport operating staff	65	18.3	19	23.1	+26.2
Welders	118	20.4	114	24.3	+19.1
Bricklayers and stonemasons	99	17.7	99	20.8	+18.0
Forestry workers	14	21.7	12	23.0	+6.2
(b) Occupations with suicide rates that decreased over time
Electronic engineers	39	25.6	–b	1.2	−95.4
Hotel porters	30	74.4	–b	8.1	−89.1
Radiographers	10	24.6	5	3.2	−87.0
Chemical plant workers	103	28.5	22	5.6	−80.4
Veterinarians	16	77.2	10	20.2	−73.8
Judges, barristers and solicitors	49	23.9	44	6.7	−71.9
Pharmacists	32	46.3	16	13.3	−71.3
Moulders, core makers and die casters	23	21.3	b	6.1	−71.3
Hairdressers and barbers	44	21.8	68	7.1	−67.3
Doctors	96	31.2	83	11.4	−63.4
Biological scientists	15	20.4	15	7.7	−62.1
Dentists	25	35.6	20	14.6	−58.9
Photographers and cameramen	36	28.1	30	11.7	−58.5
Authors, writers and journalists	44	21.4	57	9.4	−56.3
Garage proprietors	19	30.1	22	13.9	−53.8
Driving instructors	16	22.5	14	10.6	−53.0
Machine tool operators	358	30.0	268	17.5	−41.8
Chemical scientists	31	25.9	13	15.9	−38.6
Farmers	253	30.3	124	18.8	−38.2
Publicans	67	20.0	98	13.3	−33.5
Farm workers	113	22.3	58	14.9	−33.3
Domestic housekeepers	16	25.2	9	17.0	−32.4
Hospital porters	32	37.1	23	25.7	−30.8
Statutory inspectors	17	27.5	11	19.7	−28.5
Actors and entertainers	32	24.3	40	17.7	−27.3
Roundsmen and van salesmen	53	20.3	19	16.1	−20.8
Printers	46	30.6	58	24.5	−20.0
Quarry workers	18	29.9	18	24.0	−19.8
Prison officers	12	20.2	31	16.5	−18.4
Musicians	22	33.3	43	28.1	−15.5
Steel erectors	29	32.8	19	27.9	−15.0
Security guards	89	22.1	176	19.6	−11.5
Merchant seafarers	132	76.4	34	68.3	−10.6
Roofers and glaziers	58	31.8	137	28.5	−10.6
Gardeners and groundsmen	111	29.9	204	27.3	−8.8
Painters and decorators	285	29.2	244	29.0	−0.5

This table includes only those occupations with a suicide rate of >20 per 100 000, and at least 10 suicides, in either time period, 1979–1980 and 1982–1983 or 2001–2005.

^aPercentage increases (+) or reductions (–) in the suicide rate that are significant are shown in bold (p < 0.05).

^bBecause of the small numbers of suicide cases (<5), we have not included the actual numbers of suicides for these occupations.

Occupations with high suicide rates (>20 per 100 000 worker-years in either of the two time periods, 1979–1980, 1982–1983 and 2001–2005) that could not be compared over time because of incompatibility across the ISCO-1980 and SOC 2000 occupational classifications are as follows: for 1979–1980, 1982–1983: carpet fitters (14, 32.7); boiler operators (22, 28.5); builders (109, 26.0); laboratory assistants (17, 24.5); metal polishers (10, 20.4); radio and TV mechanics (26, 20.7); for 2001–2005: window cleaners (65 suicides, 46.2 per 100 000); recycling and refuse disposal managers (13, 29.0); vehicle body builders and repairers (42, 25.8); tyre, exhaust and windscreen fitters (19, 24.5).