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Disparities in job characteristics by race and sex in a Southern aluminum smelting facility.

Publication ,  Journal Article
McClure, ES; Robinson, WR; Vasudevan, P; Cullen, MR; Marshall, SW; Noth, E; Richardson, D
Published in: Am J Ind Med
April 2023

BACKGROUND: Former workers at a Southern aluminum smelting facility raised concerns that the most hazardous jobs were assigned to Black workers, but the role of workplace segregation had not been quantified or examined in the company town. Prior studies discuss race and gender disparities in working conditions, but few have documented them in the aluminum industry. METHODS: We obtained workers' company records for 1985-2007 and characterized four job metrics: prestige (sociologic rankings), worker-defined danger (worker assessments), annual wage (1985 dollars), and estimated total particulate matter (TPM) exposure (job exposure matrix). Characteristics of job at hire and trajectories were compared by race and sex using linear binomial models. RESULTS: Non-White males had the highest percentage of workers in low prestige and high danger jobs at hire and up to 20 years after. After 20 years tenure, 100% of White workers were in higher prestige and lower danger jobs. Most female workers, regardless of race, entered and remained in low-wage jobs, while 50% of all male workers maintained their initial higher-wage jobs. Non-White females had the highest prevalence of workers in low-wage jobs at hire and after 20 years-increasing from 63% (95% CI: 59-67) to 100% (95% CI: 78-100). All female workers were less likely to be in high TPM exposure jobs. Non-White males were most likely to be hired into high TPM exposure jobs, and this exposure prevalence increased as time accrued, while staying constant for other race-sex groups. CONCLUSIONS: There is evidence of job segregation by race and sex in this cohort of aluminum smelting workers. Documentation of disparities in occupational hazards is important for informing health interventions and research.

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Published In

Am J Ind Med

DOI

EISSN

1097-0274

Publication Date

April 2023

Volume

66

Issue

4

Start / End Page

307 / 319

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Workplace
  • Particulate Matter
  • Occupations
  • Occupational Exposure
  • Male
  • Industry
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Environmental & Occupational Health
  • Aluminum
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
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McClure, E. S., Robinson, W. R., Vasudevan, P., Cullen, M. R., Marshall, S. W., Noth, E., & Richardson, D. (2023). Disparities in job characteristics by race and sex in a Southern aluminum smelting facility. Am J Ind Med, 66(4), 307–319. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.23464
McClure, Elizabeth S., Whitney R. Robinson, Pavithra Vasudevan, Mark R. Cullen, Stephen W. Marshall, Elizabeth Noth, and David Richardson. “Disparities in job characteristics by race and sex in a Southern aluminum smelting facility.Am J Ind Med 66, no. 4 (April 2023): 307–19. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.23464.
McClure ES, Robinson WR, Vasudevan P, Cullen MR, Marshall SW, Noth E, et al. Disparities in job characteristics by race and sex in a Southern aluminum smelting facility. Am J Ind Med. 2023 Apr;66(4):307–19.
McClure, Elizabeth S., et al. “Disparities in job characteristics by race and sex in a Southern aluminum smelting facility.Am J Ind Med, vol. 66, no. 4, Apr. 2023, pp. 307–19. Pubmed, doi:10.1002/ajim.23464.
McClure ES, Robinson WR, Vasudevan P, Cullen MR, Marshall SW, Noth E, Richardson D. Disparities in job characteristics by race and sex in a Southern aluminum smelting facility. Am J Ind Med. 2023 Apr;66(4):307–319.
Journal cover image

Published In

Am J Ind Med

DOI

EISSN

1097-0274

Publication Date

April 2023

Volume

66

Issue

4

Start / End Page

307 / 319

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Workplace
  • Particulate Matter
  • Occupations
  • Occupational Exposure
  • Male
  • Industry
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Environmental & Occupational Health
  • Aluminum