BAME workers face yawning pay gap

Black and Minority Ethnic workers from almost all groups are still earning less than White employees, new ethnicity pay gap figures from the Office for National Statistics have shown.

The ONS analysis of 2022 wages revealed that some BAME groups still earn up to 18.5% less per hour than White workers overall. Employees from a mixed White and Black Caribbean background had the lowest median hourly wage of £11.75 compared to the White workers’ average of £14.42.

It found that Black, African, Caribbean and Black British workers were paid less than White workers, with non-UK born Black British workers having the lowest median wage among this group. Workers born in the UK across all ethnic groups tend to earn more than those born in another country, except for White and mixed ethnicity employees.

In response, the TUC reiterated its call for mandatory pay gap reporting, a measure that was dropped by the government last year in favour of guidance.