Racism persists in labour market

The latest government figures on the participation of different ethnic groups in the labour market show that ethnic minority groups continue to be nearly two and a half times more likely to be unemployed than white people.

The ratio of ethnic minority unemployment to white unemployment has remained consistently higher since the mid-1990s, than during the mid to late 1980s when it stood at 1.7.

The Labour Force Survey figures also show significant variations in rates of unemployment. The average unemployment rate for white men for summer 1999 to spring 2000 is 5.9%, compared to 16.7% for all black men, 16.1% for Pakistani and Bangladeshi men and 7.2 for Indian men.

Among women the unemployment rate is 4.7% for white women and 12.3% for all ethnic minority groups. Of the ethnic minority groups, Pakistani and Bangladeshi women are most likely to be unemployed, with a rate of 23.9% compared to 16.5% for black African women, 11.9% for black Caribbean women, and 7.5% for Indian women.

Commenting on the figures, TUC general secretary John Monks said: "These figures show that racism still blights the working lives of thousands of black and Asian people. It's crucial that unions and employers join together to combat racist attitudes at work".

The Labour Force Survey figures are published in Labour Market Trends, January 2001 available from The Stationery Office tel: 0870 600 5522, fax: 0870 600 5533.