Environmental Justice at Work: Occupational Hazards, Migration, and Aging in the United States

• In Event: 40465 - Demography and the Future of Work

Abstract

The workplace is a critical yet understudied site of environmental injustice, where exposure to occupational hazards and conditions are is shaped by race, class, migration status, and aging. While environmental justice (EJ) scholarship has largely focused on residential exposures, this study highlights the workplace as an overlooked "sacrifice zone" for marginalized and aging workers. Using American Community Survey (ACS) Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) data (2015–2019) and a job exposure matrix (JEM) derived from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET), this study examines disparities in occupational exposures across a number of intersectional sociodemographic groups. The analysis focuses on three key categories of workplace risk: physical demands, environmental conditions, and job hazards.

Author

• Roger Andrew Renteria, University of Utah