Ethnic minorities 'left behind' in employment stakes
Friday, 01 Feb 2008 00:01
Ethnic minorities have a lower employment rate than the rest of the UK
It could take 30 years to close the employment gap between ethnic minorities and the rest of the UK population, the National Audit Office (NAO) believes.
A report published today says the recent ending of direct efforts to encourage those among the ethnic minority population not seeking work to find employment may have negative implications.
"While this provides opportunities to help those most disadvantaged, it carries the risk that some ethnic minorities may not receive the help they need to get a job," NAO chief Sir John Bourn said.
Only 60 per cent of the ethnic minority population is employed compared to 74 per cent for the overall population. This gap has only closed by 1.3 per cent since 1987.
The NAO warns this difference is directly linked to increased child poverty, which among Pakistanis and Bangladeshis is nearly threefold that of white low-income families.
Employment minister Stephen Timms said the government had made "steady progress" over the last ten years.