Coronavirus outbreak deepens race inequalities

The coronavirus outbreak will increase inequalities, says race think tank the Runnymede Trust.

There are structural inequalities that place black and minority ethnic (BME) groups at much higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19, warned Dr Zubaida Haque, the charity’s deputy director, in a blog post last month.

She said that, for multiple reasons, BME groups are more vulnerable, such as experiencing high rates of child poverty and ill-health and being more likely to be employed in precarious work and to live in poor housing conditions compared to their white British peers.

On employment, the blog referred to the government’s 2018 Race Disparity Audit showing that, while employment rates have been improving overall, BME groups were, on average, twice as likely to be unemployed as their white British counterparts, and much more likely (particularly Pakistani and Bangladeshi groups) to be in low-skilled and low-paying occupations.

Further evidence was provided by a TUC report in 2019 showing that BME groups were twice as likely to be in precarious employment, including those on zero hours contracts and on agency contracts.

Hacque said these labour market inequalities show that BME groups in Britain will be less likely to weather the economic fallout from the COVID-19 crisis.

https://www.runnymedetrust.org/blog/coronavirus-will-increase-race-inequalities