If you are wondering what the impact of a lack of equality, diversity and inclusivity has on the economic situation of members of the BAME community, read this page on the facts and figures.
Although there have been some significant improvements in recent years, there is still a long way to go to completely close the gap and eliminate discrimination from the sphere of employment in the UK.
Overall Employment Rate
Being a member of the BAME community still has a significant impact on your overall chances of employment in the UK. According to one report, between the ages of 16 and 24, you could be up to 11% less likely to access employment if you are from the BAME community.
Regional Employment Differentiation
One factor that was found to be exceptionally significant was the region in which the jobseeker is living.
Studies demonstrate that, where the general population have around 11% more chance of employment in the best regions for employment compared to the worst, the same criteria for BAME differentiation is 26%. This means that where you live could be a major factor in accessing employment, suggesting that some areas in particular are discriminatory towards employing people from the BAME community.
The worst area for BAME employment is in the North East, not including Tyne & Wear, in which less than half of working age BAME people are unemployed.
Impact of Education
In the last two decades the number of people from the BAME community in higher education have increased significantly. For example, the share of Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi graduates has trebled in less than two decades.
However, studies demonstrate that these degrees are less influential for their white counterparts: Pakistani and Bangladeshi graduates are 12% less likely to find work after graduating. This is believed to be the result of Russel Group and Oxbridge universities not accepting enough candidates from these groups.
In turn, employers judge that the candidates are not as capable because of their inability to access the more prestigious institutions, despite showing no difference in capacity. In turn, employers are unknowingly partaking in indirect discrimination when they refuse to hire from universities outside of the Russel Group or Oxbridge.
Types of Work
Somewhat as a result of this discrimination in educational opportunities, members of the BAME community are less likely to find employment with a high stability, or a high earning potential. This is demonstrated in the research, which shows members of the BAME community holding lower earning employment compared to their counterparts with the same qualifications.
Pay Gaps
A 2019 study demonstrated that the pay gap between the BAME and white groups of employed people in the UK had closed to its smallest since 2012. Dropping from around 5% in 2012, the gap in 2019 was then just over 2%. This means that, on average, those in the BAME community earn over 2% less than their white counterparts who perform the same role.
Although this is a significant improvement, these figures do not take into account a reduction in employment, so the overall figure is far worse. Furthermore, it is still far from acceptable and much needs to be done in the UK to recognise the results of discrimination in the workplace and company recruitment processes.
If you are looking for BAME jobs, take a look at our jobs board!