A new study reveals that the most common occupations held by immigrant women in the United States may expose them to an elevated risk of breast cancer through workplace chemicals. Researchers found that jobs in house cleaning, nursing, and caregiving are not only prevalent among this demographic but are also associated with significant exposure to endocrine-disrupting compounds and other agents suspected to be carcinogenic. This investigation highlights a critical and historically overlooked area of occupational health, focusing on a group often marginalized in environmental health research.
The findings, published in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, draw from an analysis of U.S. Census data and chemical risk assessments to understand how employment patterns contribute to health disparities. Immigrant women are a vital part of the American workforce, numbering over 12.3 million and comprising more than 16% of all employed women. While they work across a wide spectrum of industries, they are highly concentrated in essential frontline positions. The research from the Silent Spring Institute and collaborating University of California scientists provides a new lens through which to view the vulnerabilities tied to these common career paths.
Occupational Concentrations and Health Risks
The recent study identified five dominant occupational categories for immigrant women: house cleaning, nursing, cashier work, janitorial duties, and caregiving. Among these, house cleaners and nurses were found to face the most extensive potential exposures to a variety of hazardous chemical agents. These exposures are linked to cleaning products, disinfectants, and other materials regularly used in these professions. The chemicals of concern often have endocrine-disrupting properties, meaning they can interfere with the body’s hormonal systems and potentially contribute to the development of hormone-sensitive cancers like breast cancer.
Historically, occupational health studies have skewed toward male-dominated industries, leaving major gaps in understanding the specific risks faced by women in the workforce. This new research aims to fill that void by linking specific jobs to chemical exposures known or suspected to be involved in carcinogenesis. The study’s lead author, Dr. Kristin Knox, noted that these findings could help explain observed patterns of increased breast cancer incidence among some immigrant populations after their migration to the U.S. By identifying the primary jobs and their associated chemical hazards, the research provides a foundation for developing targeted health and safety interventions.
The Role of Education and Language
Socio-economic factors, particularly educational attainment and English language proficiency, play a significant role in determining the types of jobs immigrant women hold and the level of risk they face. The study found a clear divergence in occupations based on these factors. Those with limited language skills and fewer educational credentials were more frequently employed in higher-risk roles, such as serving as operatives, laborers, and janitors, which do not typically require strong English proficiency.
Conversely, immigrant women with higher educational levels and greater fluency in English were disproportionately represented in occupations with lower chemical exposures. These jobs include roles like accountants, customer service representatives, and software developers. This distribution highlights how social and economic barriers can channel segments of the immigrant population into occupations that carry a greater health burden.
Underemployment Among the Highly Skilled
Even with advanced education, many immigrant women face significant professional hurdles. A substantial portion of college-educated immigrant women are underemployed, working in jobs that do not utilize their training or experience. According to an analysis of 2022 U.S. Census data, nearly 33% of immigrant women with college degrees work in jobs that do not require such credentials. This figure is notably higher than the 27.5% rate for U.S.-born women with the same level of education. This underemployment not only undermines their earning potential but can also limit their career mobility, confining a highly skilled talent pool to lower-paying sectors.
Key Industries of Employment
Looking beyond specific job titles, immigrant women are essential to the functioning of several key U.S. industries. The top five sectors for this demographic are health care and social assistance, accommodation and food services, educational services, retail trade, and manufacturing. Within these fields, they fill a vast array of roles. For example, immigrant women represent a striking share of certain professions, accounting for over 57% of manicurists and pedicurists and more than 44% of maids and housekeeping cleaners. They are also a significant presence as agricultural sorters, home health aides, and food preparation workers.
Many of these roles are foundational to daily American life yet are often characterized by low wages. Pre-pandemic data showed that the largest numbers of immigrant women workers were maids and housekeepers, followed by nursing and home health aides, cashiers, and janitors. Their concentration in essential, frontline industries became particularly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, where they made up 15% of all women working in critical infrastructure sectors.
A Focus on Healthcare and STEM
The healthcare and social assistance sector is one of the largest employers of immigrant women, with more than one in five working in the industry. This field had the most job openings of any U.S. industry in 2023, underscoring the critical need for this workforce. Immigrant women work as registered nurses, medical managers, and physicians, but they are most heavily concentrated in support roles. Hundreds of thousands work as nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides, providing essential care to vulnerable populations.
At the other end of the skills spectrum, immigrant women are making increasingly important contributions to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. An estimated 810,400 immigrant women work in STEM occupations, constituting 6.3% of the nation’s STEM workforce. Among the most common high-skilled roles is software developer, a profession projected to see massive growth over the next decade. Other top STEM occupations for this group include physical scientists, mathematical science occupations, and computer systems analysts, demonstrating a vital contribution to innovation and economic growth.
Research Methodology and Context
The recent findings on occupational health risks were derived from a multi-faceted approach that combined robust datasets to create a comprehensive picture. Researchers integrated U.S. Census figures to identify the most common jobs with data from the Women’s Occupations and Risk from Chemicals Project, which catalogs potential workplace exposures to carcinogens and endocrine disruptors. This methodology allowed the team to systematically connect employment patterns within the immigrant community to specific, quantifiable health risks. By focusing on this intersection, the study provides a critical evidence base for public health officials and employers to address workplace safety in sectors that have long been understudied.