Creating a fairer Britain
16 December 2009
Research published today by the Commission and the Government Equalities Office (GEO), shows that people from ethnic minorities have seen a marked increase in their rate of unemployment since the start of the recession in 2008.
Members of the Caribbean and African community* have seen unemployment levels rise by 6.9 per cent - from 13.2 per cent in the first quarter of 2008, to 20.1 per cent in the third quarter of 2009. This compares with a 2.8 per cent rise in white unemployment, up from 4.8 per cent to 7.6 per cent, over the same period.
The trend has become more marked over the last six months, with Asian and Caribbean and African unemployment rising by 2.2 per cent and 4.4 per cent respectively, whilst white unemployment has risen by just 0.8 per cent.
The report, which updates findings published earlier this year by the Commission and GEO, looks at how the downturn in the UK labour market has impacted on various equality groups ** between the first quarter of 2008 and the quarter ending September 2009.
Results also suggest that young people (18 – 24 years) and men have continued to see large increases in their unemployment levels since the beginning of the current UK recession in the first quarter of 2008.
Unemployment among 18-24 year olds is up by 6.5 per cent from 12.0 per cent in the first quarter of 2008, to 18.5 per cent in the third quarter of 2009. Over the same period, unemployment for men rose from 5.6 to 9.2 per cent (up 3.6 per cent).
Conversely, older workers appear to have been relatively sheltered from recent job losses so far, which marks a change from previous recessions. Their unemployment rates have risen by just 1.5 per cent since the start of 2008.
Women are still being less affected than men in terms of aggregate unemployment rates, with unemployment up by 2.1 per cent since the first quarter of 2008, from 4.7 to 6.8 per cent. However, women are being affected more in absolute terms than the last recession, in part because there were simply more women in work to start with.
Women are also entering part-time work in large numbers – there was an increase of 123,000 women working part time in the past quarter.
Trevor Phillips, Chair of the Commission said: “The data for the last six months suggests a significant deterioration in employment for those from ethnic minority groups which risks undoing much of the progress made over the last few years. The figures also show that the employment outcomes of younger people remain a particular problem. The adverse economic and social impacts of widespread youth unemployment can leave scars which will take many years to heal.
'When the economy returns to growth, the challenge will be to ensure that no talent is constrained for arbitrary reasons, or needless barriers – something which is well within the power of a 21st century society to overcome. This implies a fundamental re-examination of the culture and practices that underlie the way our society and workplaces operate. No recovery can be complete without it. With it, the UK can face up to the rigours of a competitive global economy with confidence.'
-Ends-
For more press information contact the Equality and Human Rights Commission media office on 020 3117 0255, out of hours 07767 272 818.
For general enquiries please contact the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s national helpline: England 0845 604 6610 / Scotland 0845 604 5510 / Wales 0845 604 8810
Download a copy of the report: Monitoring update on the impact of the recession on various demographic groups (Pdf)
*The ‘Black’ communities are defined as those from Caribbean and African backgrounds. The ‘Asian’ communities include those from Indian and Chinese backgrounds.
** Equality groups measured: Young (18 – 24 yrs); 25 – 49 yrs; older people 50 – 69 yrs; Disability (DDA disabled); disability (work limiting disabled only); ethnicity (white); ethnicity (mixed); ethnicity (Asian); ethnicity (black); ethnicity (all ethnic minorities); gender (female); gender (male).
|
GB TOTALS |
Employment Rate (%) |
Unemployment Rate (%) |
Inactivity Rate (%) |
|
January-March 2008 |
74.7 |
5.2 |
21.0 |
|
April-June 2008 |
74.7 |
5.3 |
21.0 |
|
July-September 2008 |
74.8 |
6.2 |
20.2 |
|
October-December 2008 |
74.4 |
6.3 |
20.5 |
|
January-March 2009 |
73.5 |
7.1 |
20.7 |
|
April-June 2009 |
72.7 |
7.7 |
21.0 |
|
July-September 2009 |
72.9 |
8.1 |
20.4 |
|
|
|||
|
AGE (18-24 Yrs) |
Employment Rate (%) |
Unemployment Rate (%) |
Inactivity Rate (%) |
|
January-March 2008 |
63.4 |
12.0 |
27.9 |
|
April-June 2008 |
63.2 |
12.4 |
27.8 |
|
July-September 2008 |
65.6 |
14.5 |
23.3 |
|
October-December 2008 |
63.0 |
14.3 |
26.5 |
|
January-March 2009 |
59.5 |
16.2 |
29.0 |
|
April-June 2009 |
58.9 |
17.2 |
28.8 |
|
July-September 2009 |
60.7 |
18.5 |
25.5 |
|
AGE (25-49 Yrs) |
Employment Rate (%) |
Unemployment Rate (%) |
Inactivity Rate (%) |
|
January-March 2008 |
81.8 |
4.0 |
14.7 |
|
April-June 2008 |
81.9 |
4.1 |
14.6 |
|
July-September 2008 |
81.4 |
4.4 |
14.8 |
|
October-December 2008 |
81.4 |
4.7 |
14.5 |
|
January-March 2009 |
81.0 |
5.7 |
14.1 |
|
April-June 2009 |
80.1 |
6.3 |
14.5 |
|
July-September 2009 |
80.1 |
6.3 |
14.5 |
|
AGE (50-69 Yrs) |
Employment Rate (%) |
Unemployment Rate (%) |
Inactivity Rate (%) |
|
January-March 2008 |
56.1 |
3.0 |
42.1 |
|
April-June 2008 |
56.3 |
2.9 |
42.1 |
|
July-September 2008 |
55.9 |
3.3 |
42.1 |
|
October-December 2008 |
56.1 |
3.8 |
41.7 |
|
January-March 2009 |
56.0 |
4.3 |
41.4 |
|
April-June 2009 |
55.8 |
4.5 |
41.5 |
|
July-September 2009 |
55.8 |
4.5 |
41.6 |
|
|
|||
|
DISABILITY (DDA disabled) |
Employment Rate (%) |
Unemployment Rate (%) |
Inactivity Rate (%) |
|
January-March 2008 |
81.8 |
4.3 |
14.5 |
|
April-June 2008 |
82.0 |
4.1 |
14.5 |
|
July-September 2008 |
82.3 |
4.2 |
14.1 |
|
October-December 2008 |
81.4 |
4.7 |
14.5 |
|
January-March 2009 |
80.4 |
5.6 |
14.8 |
|
April-June 2009 |
80.3 |
5.5 |
15.0 |
|
July-September 2009 |
81.0 |
5.5 |
14.3 |
|
DISABILITY (Work-limiting disabled only) |
Employment Rate (%) |
Unemployment Rate (%) |
Inactivity Rate (%) |
|
January-March 2008 |
67.7 |
10.4 |
24.5 |
|
April-June 2008 |
67.0 |
10.3 |
25.3 |
|
July-September 2008 |
66.6 |
11.5 |
24.7 |
|
October-December 2008 |
66.6 |
11.8 |
24.5 |
|
January-March 2009 |
66.8 |
13.4 |
22.9 |
|
April-June 2009 |
65.3 |
14.6 |
23.6 |
|
July-September 2009 |
64.5 |
14.4 |
24.7 |
|
|
|||
|
ETHNICITY (WHITE) |
Employment Rate (%) |
Unemployment Rate (%) |
Inactivity Rate (%) |
|
January-March 2008 |
76.5 |
4.8 |
19.6 |
|
April-June 2008 |
76.5 |
4.9 |
19.5 |
|
July-September 2008 |
76.6 |
5.8 |
18.8 |
|
October-December 2008 |
76.2 |
5.9 |
19.1 |
|
January-March 2009 |
75.2 |
6.8 |
19.3 |
|
April-June 2009 |
74.5 |
7.4 |
19.5 |
|
July-September 2009 |
74.8 |
7.6 |
19.0 |
|
ETHNICITY (MIXED) |
Employment Rate (%) |
Unemployment Rate (%) |
Inactivity Rate (%) |
|
January-March 2008 |
61.7 |
10.9 |
30.8 |
|
April-June 2008 |
61.7 |
13.1 |
29.0 |
|
July-September 2008 |
63.4 |
15.1 |
25.3 |
|
October-December 2008 |
62.6 |
14.3 |
27.0 |
|
January-March 2009 |
60.3 |
15.0 |
29.1 |
|
April-June 2009 |
57.9 |
16.8 |
30.5 |
|
July-September 2009 |
60.0 |
16.6 |
28.1 |
|
ETHNICITY (ASIAN) |
Employment Rate (%) |
Unemployment Rate (%) |
Inactivity Rate (%) |
|
January-March 2008 |
59.1 |
10.9 |
33.8 |
|
April-June 2008 |
58.8 |
9.9 |
34.7 |
|
July-September 2008 |
60.3 |
9.9 |
33.1 |
|
October-December 2008 |
61.5 |
9.4 |
32.1 |
|
January-March 2009 |
61.4 |
10.4 |
31.5 |
|
April-June 2009 |
59.4 |
11.8 |
32.7 |
|
July-September 2009 |
59.3 |
12.6 |
32.2 |
|
ETHNICITY (BLACK) |
Employment Rate (%) |
Unemployment Rate (%) |
Inactivity Rate (%) |
|
January-March 2008 |
63.2 |
13.2 |
27.2 |
|
April-June 2008 |
63.6 |
12.5 |
27.3 |
|
July-September 2008 |
62.3 |
14.3 |
27.4 |
|
October-December 2008 |
61.8 |
14.1 |
28.0 |
|
January-March 2009 |
60.1 |
15.7 |
28.7 |
|
April-June 2009 |
57.7 |
17.9 |
29.7 |
|
July-September 2009 |
57.8 |
20.1 |
27.7 |
|
ETHNICITY (ALL ETHNIC MINORITIES) |
Employment Rate (%) |
Unemployment Rate (%) |
Inactivity Rate (%) |
|
January-March 2008 |
60.5 |
11.1 |
32.0 |
|
April-June 2008 |
60.5 |
11.1 |
32.0 |
|
July-September 2008 |
61.3 |
11.5 |
30.8 |
|
October-December 2008 |
61.5 |
11.2 |
30.8 |
|
January-March 2009 |
60.9 |
11.6 |
31.1 |
|
April-June 2009 |
58.9 |
13.0 |
32.3 |
|
July-September 2009 |
59.2 |
14.8 |
30.5 |
|
|
|||
|
GENDER (FEMALE) |
Employment Rate (%) |
Unemployment Rate (%) |
Inactivity Rate (%) |
|
January-March 2008 |
70.4 |
4.7 |
25.9 |
|
April-June 2008 |
70.4 |
4.8 |
25.9 |
|
July-September 2008 |
70.3 |
5.6 |
25.2 |
|
October-December 2008 |
70.2 |
5.6 |
25.5 |
|
January-March 2009 |
69.6 |
6.1 |
25.7 |
|
April-June 2009 |
69.1 |
6.5 |
25.9 |
|
July-September 2009 |
69.5 |
6.8 |
25.1 |
|
GENDER (MALE) |
Employment Rate (%) |
Unemployment Rate (%) |
Inactivity Rate (%) |
|
January-March 2008 |
78.7 |
5.6 |
16.5 |
|
April-June 2008 |
78.6 |
5.8 |
16.5 |
|
July-September 2008 |
78.8 |
6.6 |
15.5 |
|
October-December 2008 |
78.3 |
6.8 |
15.9 |
|
January-March 2009 |
77.0 |
7.9 |
16.2 |
|
April-June 2009 |
75.9 |
8.8 |
16.6 |
|
July-September 2009 |
76.1 |
9.2 |
16.1 |
The Commission is a statutory body established under the Equality Act 2006, which took over the responsibilities of Commission for Racial Equality, Disability Rights Commission and Equal Opportunities Commission. It is the independent advocate for equality and human rights in Britain. It aims to reduce inequality, eliminate discrimination, strengthen good relations between people, and promote and protect human rights. The Commission enforces equality legislation on age, disability, gender, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation or transgender status, and encourages compliance with the Human Rights Act. It also gives advice and guidance to businesses, the voluntary and public sectors, and to individuals.