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The recession and slowdown in construction activity in New York City had a silver lining last year: fewer workplace deaths.

The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that there were 63 workplace fatalities in the city in 2009.

That’s 27 fewer than a year earlier, and the lowest total since the bureau began tracking fatalities comprehensively in 1992.

Fewer falls at construction sites accounted for much of the decline.

There were 5 fatal falls on job sites last year, compared to 25 in 2008.

Homicide was the leading cause of workplace deaths, with 16 killings. Suicides followed, with 12.

On-the-job deaths have been dropping steadily in the city since the early 1990s, when the city had more than 100 workplace slayings several years in a row.

Topics Commercial Lines New York Business Insurance