NEWS - Lessons for Policy: Occupational differences in Covid-19 risks by sex

Introduction

This population-based study is part of the Scottish Centre for Administrative Data Research (SCADR) research programme. It was originally commissioned by the Scottish Government’s Chief Statistical Office to inform the policy response to the pandemic.

The study analysed Covid-19 hospitalisation and death risks for different occupational groups by sex in Scotland between March 2020 and January 2021. It drew on a large administrative data collection that combines individual-level 2011 Census records with household information from property identifiers and electronic health records.

It forms part of a broader SCADR project investigating socioeconomic, household and environmental risk factors for Covid-19 in Scotland. Earlier findings from this research were cited as evidence during the UK Covid-19 Inquiry.

Key Findings 

Women generally had lower hospitalisation and death risks rates than men. However, there were clear differences across occupational groups, with higher death rates for women in process and machine operative roles and men in transportation and elementary services.

Adjusting for socioeconomic status, pre-pandemic health and occupational exposure reduced the observed risks across most occupational groups.

While similar patterns emerged between the sexes for hospitalisation risks, there were differences for death risks, with women in professional roles (e.g. health professionals) showing lower risks and men in more disadvantaged roles (e.g. large vehicle and taxi drivers) facing higher risks.

Please see the full journal article published in the BMJ, authored by Dr Serena Pattaro, Professor Nick Bailey and Professor Chris Dibben: Occupational differences in COVID-19 hospital admission and mortality risks between women and men in Scotland (https://oem.bmj.com/content/82/3/128).

Recommendations for policy

Based on these findings, we recommend that reducing sex-based disparities in future respiratory pandemics requires coordinated interventions to:

• address gaps in the provision of protective equipment and training for health and care workers
• prioritise support for high-risk occupational groups working in sectors such as transport and personal services.

What's next?

We delivered a keynote presentation at the ADR Scotland Work, Welfare and Economy Workshop, held in May 2025. This was well attended by representatives from Scottish Government, including Social Security Scotland, the Department for Work and Pensions, as well as academia and third sector organisations. 

We will continue this collaborative research by focusing on household transmission and its impact on Covid-19 infection, and severe outcomes among vulnerable population groups.

As part of the SCADR project, PhD student Yusuff Adebayo Adebisi is exploring the relationship between household living arrangements and Covid-19 outcomes among disabled people in Scotland.

This news article was adapted from a post originally published on University of Glasgow’s social science hub.