New research reveals that Black and Hispanic workers in California face sharply elevated risks of workplace injury compared to their White peers. Over a fifteen-year period, lost-time injury rates were found to be 74 percent higher for Black workers and 90 percent higher for Hispanic workers compared to White workers, while Asian and Pacific Islander workers experienced rates 37 percent lower. “Black and Hispanic workers systematically face worse working conditions and riskier environments,” report the study’s authors.
Much of this disparity arises from occupational concentration—minority workers are overrepresented in dangerous jobs. For men, adjusting for the types of jobs held explained up to 70 percent of the difference for Black workers and 76 percent for Hispanic workers. But for women, less than half of the disparity could be attributed to job differences, especially for Black women, with the remainder linked to increased risks even within the same occupations.
“These results highlight occupational concentration as an explanation for the higher injury rates experienced by Black and Hispanic workers,” say the researchers. Yet within-occupation disparities remain substantial, and not just in high-risk jobs. As the authors conclude, the persistence of risk gaps even for workers in identical job roles “suggests that Black and Hispanic workers systematically face worse working conditions and riskier environments.”
Workplace injury is not just about missed work—it’s tied to lost earnings, long-term health problems, and even increased mortality. The evidence suggests that improving working conditions for minority workers must be a public health priority.
See: “Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Occupational Health” (September 26, 2025)
