IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/socmed/v383y2025ics0277953625007464.html

The ‘survival job’ pathway: Risk-focusing and occupational challenges among Canadian racialized and immigrant adults during the COVID-19 pandemic

Author

Listed:
  • Kilius, Erica
  • Rishworth, Andrea
  • Suh, JeeHee
  • Ali, Fatema M
  • Abu, Thelma Zulfawu
  • Adams, Matthew
  • Wilson, Kathleen
  • Galloway, Tracey

Abstract

The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic were not equally distributed, with emerging research demonstrating that racialized and immigrant populations in Canada have been disproportionately affected. Drawing on the risk-focusing hypothesis, a theoretical lens that explicates how risk burden concentrates disproportionately in marginalized populations, government mitigation strategies such as shutdowns can be seen as exacerbating existing social and economic challenges, making individuals more susceptible to COVID-19 and its adverse outcomes. This paper examines the economic and occupational challenges experienced by individuals from racialized and/or immigrant populations in the Peel Region (Ontario, Canada) during COVID-19 shutdowns. Semi-structured interviews (n = 46) were conducted from October to December 2021, discussing participants’ experiences throughout the pandemic. Using thematic analysis, interviews were coded for concepts related to employment, economics, and government support. Semantic codes were grouped into categories, where themes were identified and refined. Loss of work and difficulties in securing employment were primary themes across interviews, with participants discussing taking on low-skill “survival jobs” to pay the bills. Participants spoke of being worried about finances and decreased mental health as a result. An additional theme was the pathways of risk that accompanied employment. While government economic and social programs were considered helpful, challenges were noted in navigating resources. This study highlights the importance of examining pandemic outcomes from a risk-focusing framework, to understand how certain groups were repeatedly put at risk.

Suggested Citation

  • Kilius, Erica & Rishworth, Andrea & Suh, JeeHee & Ali, Fatema M & Abu, Thelma Zulfawu & Adams, Matthew & Wilson, Kathleen & Galloway, Tracey, 2025. "The ‘survival job’ pathway: Risk-focusing and occupational challenges among Canadian racialized and immigrant adults during the COVID-19 pandemic," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 383(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:383:y:2025:i:c:s0277953625007464
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.118415
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953625007464
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.118415?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Worthman, Carol M. & Kohrt, Brandon, 2005. "Receding horizons of health: biocultural approaches to public health paradoxes," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 61(4), pages 861-878, August.
    2. Christoph Schimmele & Feng Hou, 2024. "Trends in education–occupation mismatch among recent immigrants with a bachelor’s degree or higher, 2001 to 2021," Economic and Social Reports 202400500002e, Statistics Canada, Analytical Studies and Modelling Branch.
    3. Guillermo Gallacher & Iqbal Hossain, 2020. "Remote Work and Employment Dynamics under COVID-19: Evidence from Canada," Canadian Public Policy, University of Toronto Press, vol. 46(S1), pages 44-54, July.
    4. Singer, Merrill, 1994. "Aids and the health crisis of the U.S. urban poor; the perspective of critical medical anthropology," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 39(7), pages 931-948, October.
    5. repec:stc:stcp8e:2024005e is not listed on IDEAS
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Fang, Tony & Gunderson, Morley & Hartley, John & King, Graham & Ming, Hui, 2025. "Determinants and Effects of Remote Work Arrangements: Evidence from an Employer Survey," IZA Discussion Papers 18020, IZA Network @ LISER.
    2. Ignacio Rodríguez-Rodríguez & José-Víctor Rodríguez & Niloofar Shirvanizadeh & Andrés Ortiz & Domingo-Javier Pardo-Quiles, 2021. "Applications of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Big Data and the Internet of Things to the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Scientometric Review Using Text Mining," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-29, August.
    3. Hani Al-Dmour & Rima Al Hasan & Motasem Thneibat & Ra’ed Masa’deh & Wafa Alkhadra & Rand Al-Dmour & Ali Alalwan, 2023. "Integrated Model for the Factors Determining the Academic’s Remote Working Productivity and Engagement: Empirical Study," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(3), pages 21582440231, August.
    4. Alejandra Bellatin & Gabriela Galassi, 2022. "What COVID-19 May Leave Behind: Technology-Related Job Postings in Canada," Staff Working Papers 22-17, Bank of Canada.
    5. Panter-Brick, Catherine & Eggerman, Mark, 2018. "The field of medical anthropology in Social Science & Medicine," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 196(C), pages 233-239.
    6. Cristen Dalessandro & Alexander Lovell, 2024. "The Pandemic-Stratified Workplace: Workspace, Employee Sense of Belonging, and Inequalities at Work," SAGE Open, , vol. 14(1), pages 21582440241, February.
    7. Martin Lábaj & Matej Vitáloš, 2024. "COVID-19 and automation: Evidence from European countries," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 44(1), pages 112-121.
    8. Atun, Rifat A. & Lebcir, Reda M. & McKee, Martin & Habicht, Jarno & Coker, Richard J., 2007. "Impact of joined-up HIV harm reduction and multidrug resistant tuberculosis control programmes in Estonia: System dynamics simulation model," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(2-3), pages 207-217, May.
    9. Bartosik Krzysztof, 2024. "The effect of output on employment in Poland during the COVID-19 pandemic," Economics and Business Review, Sciendo, vol. 10(3), pages 58-83.
    10. Yifan Zhong & Yameng Li & Jian Ding & Yiyi Liao, 2021. "Risk Management: Exploring Emerging Human Resource Issues during the COVID-19 Pandemic," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-23, May.
    11. repec:osf:osfxxx:qxmdk_v1 is not listed on IDEAS
    12. Pierre Brochu & Jonathan Crechet, 2022. "Survey Non-Response in COVID-19 Times: The Case of the Labour Force Survey," Canadian Public Policy, University of Toronto Press, vol. 48(3), pages 451-472, September.
    13. Hsueh, Loretta & Layland, Eric K. & Kipke, Michele D. & Bray, Bethany C., 2021. "Linking racism and homonegativity to healthcare system distrust among young men of color who have sex with men: Evidence from the Healthy Young Men's (HYM) study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 284(C).
    14. Campbell, Jeanna, 2025. "Diabetes, obesity, and economic social exclusion (DOSE) syndemic among a nationally representative sample in the United States," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 383(C).
    15. Davide Costa & Raffaele Serra, 2025. "The Cultural “Blood Ties” Between Medical Anthropology and Cardiovascular Disease: A Narrative Review," Societies, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-15, April.
    16. Tsai, Alexander C. & Burns, Bridget F.O., 2015. "Syndemics of psychosocial problems and HIV risk: A systematic review of empirical tests of the disease interaction concept," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 26-35.
    17. Smith, Lindsey Gail & Yifei, Maggie Ma & Widener, Michael & Farber, Steven, 2022. "Geographies of grocery shopping in major Canadian cities: evidence from large-scale mobile app data," OSF Preprints kjsdz, Center for Open Science.
    18. Battisti, Enrico & Alfiero, Simona & Leonidou, Erasmia, 2022. "Remote working and digital transformation during the COVID-19 pandemic: Economic–financial impacts and psychological drivers for employees," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 38-50.
    19. Sahut, Jean Michel & Lissillour, Raphael, 2023. "The adoption of remote work platforms after the Covid-19 lockdown: New approach, new evidence," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    20. Lindsey G Smith & Maggie Yifei Ma & Michael J Widener & Steven Farber, 2023. "Geographies of grocery shopping in major Canadian cities: Evidence from large-scale mobile app data," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 50(3), pages 723-739, March.
    21. Qeadan, Fares & Thornquist, Rose & Tingey, Benjamin, 2025. "Syndemic interactions of chronic pain, mental health problems, and opioid misuse and their association with academic performance and quality of life among college students," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 381(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:383:y:2025:i:c:s0277953625007464. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/315/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.