Job quality and precarious employment among lesbian, gay, and bisexual workers: A national study
“Sexual minority [gay, lesbian and bisexual] workers deserve access to secure, well-paid work with benefits where they can foster connection and be free from discrimination” (p. 1).
In this 2023 study, authors Kinitz, Shahidi and Ross use data from the 2016 Canadian General Social Survey: Canadians at Work and Home to examine the job quality (i.e., employment and working conditions) of lesbian, gay and bisexual workers, and to compare employment outcomes with those of their straight counterparts.
The study uncovers pervasive employment inequities: lesbian, gay and bisexual workers are nearly three times as likely to be in precarious employment than straight workers.
Persistent discrimination and hostility towards sexual minority workers
The authors situate these new findings within existing evidence about the persistent discrimination and hostility that sexual minority workers experience in the labour market (e.g., in hiring, promotion and job tenure). “This hostility and discrimination in the labour market shapes the employment outcomes and job quality of sexual minority workers” (p. 7).
Call for better data on working conditions of sexual minority workers
“One of the principal findings of this study is what cannot be understood about the job quality of sexual minority workers in the current data landscape” (p. 7). To address this issue, the authors call for better data and highlight significant gaps in national survey data. The gaps are related to sexual orientation and gender identity, intersections with other sociodemographic characteristics, and employment and working conditions.
Finally, the authors highlight the need for multilevel interventions at the individual, employment and public policy levels to address low job quality among lesbian, gay and bisexual workers.
Use this resource to
- Understand how health-harming precarious employment conditions disproportionately impact lesbian, gay and bisexual workers in Canada
- Support public health action to advance decent work for all workers, including 2SLGBTQI+ workers
Alignment with NCCDH work
Employment and working conditions are interrelated social determinants of health. Precarious employment conditions are rising across Canada, contribute to avoidable health harms, and disproportionately impact workers who experience systemic oppression — including heterosexism and discrimination based on sexual orientation. Understanding and responding to these inequities and advancing decent work for all workers is an important avenue for public health action.
Access NCCDH resources about decent work:
- Determining Health: Decent work issue brief (2022)
- Webinar: An introduction to decent work as a social determinant of health (2024)
See other resources related to decent work and health equity.
Explore resources about how the structural and social determinants of health, including employment and working conditions, intersect with gender identity and sexual diversity:
- Webinar: Gender identity, sexual diversity and health equity in public health
- Gender identity, sexual diversity and health equity: A curated list
See other resources on 2SLGBTQI+ health equity.
Reference
Kinitz, D. J., Shahidi, F. V., & Ross, L. E. (2023). Job quality and precarious employment among lesbian, gay, and bisexual workers: A national study. SSM - Population Health, 24, Article 101535. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2023.101535
Tags: 2SLGBTQI+ health, Working conditions, Academic Institution, Document, Journal Article