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Evidence Base Home » Livelihood » Workers of color and those who have lower incomes less education and lower occupational status have higher work related health risks

Articles in Workers of color and those who have lower incomes, less educations, and lower occupational status have higher work related health risks.

  • Minority workers are overrepresented in hazardous occupations.

    Berdahl TA, McQuillan J. 2008. Occupational Racial Composition and Nonfatal Work Injuries. Social Problems 55(4): 549–572.
    Murray LR. 2003. Sick and tired of being sick and tired: scientific evidence, methods, and research implications for racial and ethnic disparities in occupational health. Am J Public Health. 93:221–226.
    Shannon CA, Rospenda KM, Richman JA, Minich LM. 2009. Race, Racial Discrimination, and the Risk of Work-Related Illness, Injury, or Assault: Findings From a National Study. Journal of occupational and environmental medicine 51(4): 441-448.

  • Racial or ethnic minorities have disproportionately higher rates of fatal occupational injuries and death due to occupational disease than do Whites, in large part due to their employment in hazardous occupations.

    Loomis D, Richardson D. Race and the risk of fatal injury at work. Am J Public Health. 1998;88:40–44.
    Richardson DB, Loomis D, Bena J, Bailer J. Fatal occupational injury rates in southern and non-southern states, by race and Hispanic ethnicity. Am J Public Health. 2004;94:1756–1761.
    Herbert R, Landrigan PL. Work-related death: a continuing epidemic. Am J Public Health. 2000;90:541–545.

  • Black men are subject to more occupational fatalities in specific industries. For example, black agriculture workers’ fatal injury rate is 26.9 per 100,000 workers, compared to 21.2 for whites.

    Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). 2004. Worker Health Chart book, 2004. DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2004-146. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

  • Blacks are more likely than Latinos or whites to work nonstandard hours including rotating shifts associated with greater health risks.

    Presser HB. 2003. Race-Ethnic and Gender Differences in Nonstandard Work Shifts. Work and Occupations 30(4):412–39.

  • Hispanic workers were more likely than whites to experience work-related illness, injury or assault, and these associations were mediated by experiences of racial harassment or discrimination.

    Shannon CA, Rospenda KM, Richman JA, Minich LM. 2009. Race, Racial Discrimination, and the Risk of Work-Related Illness, Injury, or Assault: Findings From a National Study. Journal of occupational and environmental medicine 51(4): 441-448.

  • Workplace discrimination may influence health both directly, as a stressor, and indirectly through income and advancement.

    de Castro AB, Gee GC, Takeuchi DT. 2008. Workplace Discrimination and Health Among Filipinos in the United States. Am J Public Health 98: 520-526.

  • Racial discrimination, institutional or interpersonal, is a health risk factor ; for example, increases the risk of job stress, depression and anxiety and mental disorders, chronic health conditions such as asthma, hypertension, diabetes and alcohol use.

    Mays VM. 1995. Black women, work, stress, and perceived discrimination: the focused support group model as an intervention for stress reduction. Cult Divers Ment Health. 1:53–65.
    Mays VM, Coleman LM, Jackson JS. 1996. Perceived race-based discrimination, employment status, and job stress in a national sample of Black women: implications for health outcomes. J Occup Health Psychol. 1:319–329.
    Jackson PB, Thoits PA, Taylor HF. 1995. Composition of the workplace and psychological well-being: the effects of tokenism on America’s Black elite. Soc Forces 74:543–557.
    Bhui K, Stansfeld S, McKenzie K, Karlsen S, Nazroo J, Weich S. 2005. Racial/ethnic discrimination and common mental disorders among workers: findings from the EMPIRIC study of ethnic minority groups in the United Kingdom. Am J Public Health. 95:496 –501.
    de Castro AB, Gee GC, Takeuchi DT. 2008. Workplace Discrimination and Health Among Filipinos in the United States. Am J Public Health 98: 520-526.
    Yen IH, Ragland DR, Greiner BA, Fisher JM. 1999. Workplace discrimination and alcohol consumption: findings from the San Francisco Muni Health and Safety Study. Ethn Dis. 9:70–80.

  • Research has found strong inverse association between education level and increased work injury risk. For example, risk of injury was 56 percent greater among high school graduates compared to college-educated workers, and that risk of injury was 46 percent greater among those without a high school degree compared to college-educated workers.

    Oh J, Shin EH. 2003. “Inequalities in Nonfatal Work Injury: The Significance of Race, Human Capital, and Occupations.” Social Science & Medicine 57(11):2173–82.