Report: Race, ethnicity and employment: Addressing disparities and supporting communities

This report from the Employment Related Services Association, in partnership with People Plus, aims to marry information about race, ethnicity and employment with the experience and knowledge of organisations that provide targeted support to jobseekers.

Key findings

• According to the latest figures, around one in 10 adults from a black, Pakistani, Bangladeshi or mixed background were unemployed compared with one in 25 white British people.
• Bangladeshi and Pakistani groups receive £4.39 per hour less on average than employees of Indian heritage. Black employees earn an average of £11.88 per hour, compared with an average hourly salary of £13.75 for white employees.
• 41 per cent of black African graduates, 39 per cent of Bangladeshi graduates and 36 per cent of Pakistani graduates are more likely to be overqualified for their roles, compared with 25 per cent of white graduates.

The report makes several recommendations to improve the disparities between different races. In addition to ensuring targeted investment to employability and skills providers, and tailoring work programmes to the communities they’re delivered within, it suggests the government takes action to offer more support with childcare costs and greater workplace flexibility.