A report by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has found that deaths from malignant mesothelioma rose by almost 9% between 1999 and 2005. The study uncovered a total of 18,068 reported mesothelioma deaths over that time period.

Mesothelioma is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos, a fibrous mineral that was once widely used for construction and industrial jobs. Although the use of asbestos has declined significantly since the 1970s, because it can take 20-40 years before a person who has suffered asbestos exposure to receive a mesothelioma diagnosis, many workers who were exposed decades earlier are only now beginning to show symptoms of the disease.

According to the NIOSH report, the number of deaths attributed to mesothelioma will likely peak by 2010. However, the report suggests that the number of deaths caused by mesothelioma will not return to normal levels until 2055.

Currently, an estimated 1.3 million workers in the U.S. are potentially being exposed to asbestos on the job. The most common industries in the report for workers who died of mesothelioma were ship and boat building or repairing, industrial or chemical jobs, petroleum refining, electrical light and power and construction. The most common jobs performed by workers who died from mesothelioma were plumbers, pipefitters, steamfitters, mechanical engineers, electricians and elementary school teachers.