Racial Disparity in Potential Occupational Exposure to COVID-19

Abstract

Background: Nationwide, as of 20 June 2021, COVID-19 has claimed more than 599,000 lives and infected nearly 33 million people. Studies have shown that COVID-19 disproportionately affects some racial and ethnic minority groups. This study examined whether certain racial and ethnic groups were overrepresented in occupations with potentially high COVID-19 exposure risks, relative to their share in the total workforce. The study incorporates white collar workers, who to date have not gotten as much attention in terms of workers safety.

Methods: Using the March and April 2020 Current Population Survey and O*Net data, this study examined whether certain racial and ethnic groups were overrepresented in occupations with potentially high risk of exposure to COVID-19 (exposure to disease and infection at work, inability to maintain physical distancing at work, and inability to work from home) relative to their share in the total workforce.

Results: The results showed that Black workers were overrepresented in occupations with high potential risk of exposure to disease and infection at work and inability to maintain physical distancing at work. Hispanic workers were overrepresented in occupations where potential risk of inability to work from home was the highest.

Conclusion: Occupation can be one of the risk factors for the current disproportionately high COVID-19 infection rates among Black and Hispanic workers. COVID-19-related prevention measures at high risk occupations, including providing adequate personal protective equipment, training, working space, and vaccinations, could help to reduce not only the spread of COVID-19 and infectious diseases but also their disproportionately high impact in certain minority racial and ethnic groups.

Keywords: COVID-19 risk; Occupational risk; Racial disparity in occupational risk.

Fig. 1

Frequency distribution of scores for potential risk for exposure to disease and infection at work.

Fig. 2

Share of different racial and ethnic groups in occupations with a score of ≥ 50 for potential risk of exposure to disease and infection at work, compared to their share in the total workforce. *p < 0.10

Fig. 3

Mean score for potential risk of exposure to disease and infection at work, by occupations in which different racial and ethnic workers were overrepresented relative to their shares in the total workforce. ***p = 0.04

Fig. 4

Frequency distribution of scores for potential risk of inability to maintain physical distancing at work

Fig. 5

Share of different racial and ethnic groups in occupations with a score of ≥ 50 for potential risk of inability to maintain physical distancing at work, compared to their share in the total workforce. **p < 0.05, *p < 0.10

Fig. 6

Mean score for potential exposure risk for inability to maintain physical distancing at work, by occupations in which different racial and ethnic workers were overrepresented relative to their shares in the total workforce. ***p < 0.01

Fig. 7

Frequency distribution of scores for potential risk for inability to work from home

Fig. 8

Share of different racial and ethnic groups in occupations with a score of ≥ 50 for potential risk for inability to work from home, compared to their share in the total workforce. ***p < 0.01

Fig. 9

Mean potential risk for inability to work from home, by occupations in which different racial and ethnic workers were overrepresented relative to their shares in the total workforce. ***p < 0.01, **p < 0.05