Race in the Workplace

Ethnic minorities make up 14% of the working-age population, yet their rate of employment is disproportionate:

In 2015, 1 in 8 of the working age population was from a BAME background, yet BAME individuals make up only 10% of the workforce and hold only 6% of top management positions. (Business in the Community (2015): ‘Race at Work 2015’.)

The employment rate for ethnic minorities is only 62.8% compared with an employment rate for White workers of 75.6% – a gap of over 12 percentage points. This gap is even worse for some ethnic groups, for instance the employment rate for those from a Pakistani or Bangladeshi background is only 54.9%.(Department for Work and Pensions (2015): ‘Labour Market Status by Ethnic Group’. )

People with a BAME background have an underemployment rate of 15.3% compared with 11.5% for White workers. (TUC (2016): ‘BAME Workers a Third More Likely to be Underemployed’.)

All BAME groups are more likely to be overqualified than White ethnic groups but white employees are more likely to be promoted than all other groups. 

In 2016, 14% of the working age population is from a BAME background.This is increasing, with the proportion expected to rise to 21% by 2051. (Wohland et al. (2010): ‘Ethnic Population Projections for the UK and Local Areas, 2001-2051’.)

(Information from the Baroness McGregor-Smith Review of ‘Race in the workplace 2018’ unless otherwise specified).