BAME workers hardest hit by rising costs

Workers from BAME backgrounds have been hit hardest by the cost of living crisis, a new report from networking group People Like Us has found, with a third already unable to pay their bills, rent or mortgage due to spiralling inflation.

The survey of 1,639 working professionals found BAME workers nearly twice as likely to have been refused a previously promised pay rise or promotion compared to White workers (19% to 10%), and more than a third face extra loan or credit card debt as a result. More than a fifth of BAME employees may change jobs to cover costs, while 22% are considering a second job to make ends meet.

People Like Us co-founder Sheeraz Gulsher called on employers to monitor ethnicity pay gaps and avoid using the cost of living crisis as an excuse to ditch equality. “It’s heartbreaking to see the devastating effect the cost of living crisis is having on people all over the UK,” he said. “But it isn’t affecting everyone equally.”