No Worker is an Island: Physical and Social Isolation at Work in the United States

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of physically and socially isolated work in the United States, including by detailed occupation. METHODS: Cross-sectional study linking Occupational Information Network isolated work prevalence estimates with the Bureau of Labor Statistics' employment estimates to produce numbers and percentages of physically and socially isolated US workers. RESULTS: Different definitions of physical and social isolation produced a range of prevalence estimates. In 2023, between 6.8 million and 36.1 million US workers were physically isolated (4.0%-21.5%; n = 167,849,800), and between 2.2 and 9.9 million US workers were socially isolated (1.3%-5.9%). Estimates varied by occupation. CONCLUSIONS: Physical and social isolation at work are common and likely distinct conditions with unique risks and solutions. However, neither risks nor solutions have been well-characterized. Evaluating isolated-worker-protection practices and scaling effective interventions could improve isolated workers' health and safety.