The Nature of Employment in a High Socioeconomic Hardship Community

Abstract

Objectives This cross-sectional survey aimed to examine employment characteristics and their associations with employment precarity in two high socio-economic hardship Chicago neighborhoods. Methods We used a community-based participatory approach to develop and administer a survey to residents who perceived their work situations to be precarious. Results 489 residents were surveyed. Responses were skewed towards the most precarious work situations, with the majority of respondents employed outside of a traditional arrangement. Those in the highest precarity category were most likely to identify as Latinx and born outside of the United States. Unstable, low quality employment conditions were nearly all significantly associated with highest precarity work situations. Conclusions Precarious employment is an important predictor of other employment conditions, and characterizing these at a hyperlocal level allows for a nuanced understanding of work as a determinant of health.