These results show a striking contrast in health experiences for different racial, ethnic groups in California, said Yen, who added that these results of poorer employment and health status persist even after taking into account age, sex and educational level.

Asian Americans showed mixed employment and health results, she said. Over 50 percent reported at least a college degree, compared to 40 percent of whites. Asian Americans are just as likely as whites to have a traditional job, a pension plan and health insurance coverage, she said. However, Asian Americans are still over twice as likely as whites to have poverty household incomes. The 2000 California Work and Health Survey included only English-speaking Asian Americans.

Additional findings for employed minorities:

• Among people who work full-time (35 or more hours a week), Latinos work on averagetwo fewer weeks each year than whites. Among people who work part-time, Latinoswork on average five fewer weeks each year than whites.
• Latinos are much less likely to work at large firms (1,000 or more employees) than all other ethnic groups.
• African Americans are about 80 percent more likely than whites to have been laid off during the previous year.
• African Americans are more than twice as likely as whites to report having an experience of employment discrimination. Employment discrimination refers to having been fired, not been hired, or not been promoted on the basis of age, sex, skin color or race, ethnic background, handicap, or sexual orientation.

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Contact: Maureen McInaney
mmcinaney@pubaff.ucsf.edu
415-476-2557
University of California - San Francisco
4-Sep-2000