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Green Collar Workers: An Emerging Workforce in the Environmental Sector
Laura A McClure1, William G LeBlanc, Cristina A Fernandez
1Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center (Ms McClure, Dr Lee, Dr Caban-Martinez); Department of Public Health Sciences (Dr LeBlanc, Dr Fernandez, Dr Fleming, Dr Lee, Mr Moore, Dr Caban-Martinez), University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida; and European Centre for Environment and Human Health and University of Exeter Medical School, Knowledge Spa, Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro, Cornwall, United Kingdom (Dr Fleming).
Green collar workers, vital to sustainability, are predominantly men aged 25-64, often obese with limited education. This emerging workforce requires targeted safety surveillance due to their distinct occupational profile.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Environmental Science
- Sociology
Background:
- The
- green collar
- workforce is expanding, crucial for energy efficiency and sustainability initiatives.
- Understanding the characteristics of this demographic is essential for targeted health and safety interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To delineate the socio-demographic, occupational, and health profiles of green collar workers.
- To identify key characteristics distinguishing green collar workers from other occupational groups.
Main Methods:
- Utilized linked data from the National Health Interview Surveys (NHIS) and US Occupational Information Network (O*NET) spanning 2004-2012.
- Conducted descriptive and logistic regression analyses on a sample of 143,346 individuals to determine green collar worker status.
Main Results:
- Green collar workers are more likely to be men, aged 25-64 years, obese, and possess a high school education or less.
- This group is less represented among racial/ethnic minorities and those employed by small companies or in government positions.
Conclusions:
- Green collar workers exhibit a unique socio-demographic and occupational profile.
- Active surveillance is recommended to safeguard the health and safety of this growing workforce.
- The NHIS-O*NET linked dataset is a valuable resource for further research into this sector's unique exposures and characteristics.