Job quality and precarious employment among lesbian, gay, and bisexual workers: A national study
Background: Employment outcomes among sexual minority (i.e., lesbian, gay, bisexual) workers are poorly understood, and previous research on this topic has focused almost exclusively on inequities in earnings, neglecting other important dimensions of job quality. We address this gap by describing an...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-12-01
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| Series: | SSM: Population Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352827323002008 |
| _version_ | 1797429956568940544 |
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| author | David J. Kinitz Faraz Vahid Shahidi Lori E. Ross |
| author_facet | David J. Kinitz Faraz Vahid Shahidi Lori E. Ross |
| author_sort | David J. Kinitz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Employment outcomes among sexual minority (i.e., lesbian, gay, bisexual) workers are poorly understood, and previous research on this topic has focused almost exclusively on inequities in earnings, neglecting other important dimensions of job quality. We address this gap by describing and comparing the job quality of straight and sexual minority workers in Canada. Methods: Data are from the 2016 General Social Survey: Canadians at Work and Home, the only national survey providing both a measure of sexual orientation and a multidimensional view of job quality in Canada. We identified 25 unique job quality indicators (e.g., temporary employment; job insecurity; health benefits; low income; job satisfaction; job control; discrimination). Latent class cluster analysis was used to establish a typology of job quality describing standard, flexible, and precarious employment types. We used multivariable regression methods to examine the association between sexual orientation and job quality. Results: Sexual minorities reported lower job quality than their straight counterparts along many dimensions, with bisexual people reporting the lowest job quality. While inequities were generally observed among both sexual minority men and women, they sometimes differed in magnitude by gender. The prevalence of precarious employment was nearly three times higher among lesbian, gay, and bisexual workers (PR: 2.94, CI: 1.89–4.58 among all sexual minorities; PR: 3.04, CI: 1.71–5.43 among gay/lesbian workers; and PR: 2.81, CI: 1.45–5.47 among bisexual workers) compared to their straight counterparts. Conclusion: Inequities in job quality among sexual minorities persist despite comprehensive human rights protections in Canada. These inequities are pervasive, extending well beyond conventional indicators such as dollars earned and hours worked. Multi-pronged interventions are needed that move beyond simply ensuring that sexual minority workers are employed. Sexual minority workers deserve access to secure, well-paid work with benefits where they can foster connection and be free from discrimination. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T09:20:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0a815ff5095a4d67b90b29e75fac9626 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2352-8273 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T09:20:34Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | SSM: Population Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-0a815ff5095a4d67b90b29e75fac96262023-12-02T07:00:43ZengElsevierSSM: Population Health2352-82732023-12-0124101535Job quality and precarious employment among lesbian, gay, and bisexual workers: A national studyDavid J. Kinitz0Faraz Vahid Shahidi1Lori E. Ross2Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College Street, Room 500, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 3M7, Canada; Corresponding author.Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College Street, Room 500, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 3M7, Canada; Institute for Work & Health, 400 University Avenue, Suite 1800, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1S5, CanadaDalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College Street, Room 500, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 3M7, CanadaBackground: Employment outcomes among sexual minority (i.e., lesbian, gay, bisexual) workers are poorly understood, and previous research on this topic has focused almost exclusively on inequities in earnings, neglecting other important dimensions of job quality. We address this gap by describing and comparing the job quality of straight and sexual minority workers in Canada. Methods: Data are from the 2016 General Social Survey: Canadians at Work and Home, the only national survey providing both a measure of sexual orientation and a multidimensional view of job quality in Canada. We identified 25 unique job quality indicators (e.g., temporary employment; job insecurity; health benefits; low income; job satisfaction; job control; discrimination). Latent class cluster analysis was used to establish a typology of job quality describing standard, flexible, and precarious employment types. We used multivariable regression methods to examine the association between sexual orientation and job quality. Results: Sexual minorities reported lower job quality than their straight counterparts along many dimensions, with bisexual people reporting the lowest job quality. While inequities were generally observed among both sexual minority men and women, they sometimes differed in magnitude by gender. The prevalence of precarious employment was nearly three times higher among lesbian, gay, and bisexual workers (PR: 2.94, CI: 1.89–4.58 among all sexual minorities; PR: 3.04, CI: 1.71–5.43 among gay/lesbian workers; and PR: 2.81, CI: 1.45–5.47 among bisexual workers) compared to their straight counterparts. Conclusion: Inequities in job quality among sexual minorities persist despite comprehensive human rights protections in Canada. These inequities are pervasive, extending well beyond conventional indicators such as dollars earned and hours worked. Multi-pronged interventions are needed that move beyond simply ensuring that sexual minority workers are employed. Sexual minority workers deserve access to secure, well-paid work with benefits where they can foster connection and be free from discrimination.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352827323002008Job qualityLGBPrecarious employmentQuantitativeSexual minorityWork |
| spellingShingle | David J. Kinitz Faraz Vahid Shahidi Lori E. Ross Job quality and precarious employment among lesbian, gay, and bisexual workers: A national study SSM: Population Health Job quality LGB Precarious employment Quantitative Sexual minority Work |
| title | Job quality and precarious employment among lesbian, gay, and bisexual workers: A national study |
| title_full | Job quality and precarious employment among lesbian, gay, and bisexual workers: A national study |
| title_fullStr | Job quality and precarious employment among lesbian, gay, and bisexual workers: A national study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Job quality and precarious employment among lesbian, gay, and bisexual workers: A national study |
| title_short | Job quality and precarious employment among lesbian, gay, and bisexual workers: A national study |
| title_sort | job quality and precarious employment among lesbian gay and bisexual workers a national study |
| topic | Job quality LGB Precarious employment Quantitative Sexual minority Work |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352827323002008 |
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