A priority for future research is to comprehensively and systematically quantify all of the risks in the social environment that differ markedly by race. For example, we need an enhanced understanding of the contribution of specific conditions in work environments to racial differences in health outcomes. Meyer and colleagues91 show that low maternal job control and substantive complexity at work are associated with low birth weight and prematurity in the state of Connecticut. Moreover, while there is an overall beneficial effect of maternal employment on birth outcomes, maternal employment in some industries (such as textile, food service, personal appearance, material dispatching or distributing and retail sales work) was associated with increased risk of low birth weight.92 Given the racial segregation in occupations, the extent to which occupational risks are clustered by race should be explored. Research on labor market segmentation finds that many racial minority groups and immigrants are concentrated in job sectors with low status and low pay.93 Environmental hazards, injury risk and occupational stress are also patterned by industry.94 Some evidence suggests that compared to whites, minorities have
