Discrimination can have a significant effect on people’s lives. Experiences of discrimination can affect people’s chances in life, their sense of belonging and their mental health. However, minority groups often face it in the housing market, the labour market and employment issues in the UK. Unemployment by ethnicity UK shows that in the UK there is discrimination against minorities.
Unemployment by ethnicity UK 2022 and 2023
Unemployment by ethnicity UK is evident in making life difficult for many minorities in the UK. The overall unemployment rate in 2022 was 4%. 3% of white people were jobless in 2022, as compared to 6% of people from all other ethnic groups combined. People from the combined Pakistani and Bangladeshi (9%), Asian ‘other’ (7%) and black (7%) ethnic groups had the highest unemployment rates out of all ethnic groups. In comparison, white people had the lowest unemployment rates out of all ethnic groups (3%).
The report by Statista Research Department on 4 July, 2024 shows the Unemployment rate in the UK 2023. As of the second quarter of 2023, the unemployment rate for white people in the UK was 3.5 percent. While, the unemployment rate for the Bangladeshi ethnic group was 10.3 percent.
Unemployment by ethnicity UK 2024
The Commons Library Website presents information about unemployment by ethnicity UK in 2024. According to the website, the UK unemployment rate was 4.1% in April-June in 2024. The rate was 3.3% for people from a White ethnic background compared with 8.0% for people from minority ethnic groups. However, there was considerable variation between different ethnic minority groups. People from White (3.3%) and Indian (4.9%) ethnic groups had the lowest unemployment rates. Whereas, people from Mixed or Multiple (11.5%) and Pakistani (11.1%) ethnic backgrounds had the highest rates.
The number of unemployed people from minority ethnic backgrounds has increased by 77,000 from the same period last year. Whereas, unemployment levels decreased by 88,000 for people with a White ethnic background. The unemployment rate rose from 7.2% to 8.0% for people from a minority ethnic background. However, it fell from 3.6% to 3.3% for people with a White ethnic background.
Ethnicity and discrimination in the UK
Unemployment by ethnicity UK indicates discrimination against ethnic minorities in the UK. What is the criterion for determining ethnicity in the UK? In England and Wales, there is an agreed list of ethnic groups you can use when asking for somebody’s ethnicity. The groups are generally those used in the Census. The Office for National Statistics runs the Census of England and Wales every ten years. It is recognised that these ethnic groups do not represent how all people identify. The officials encourage people to write in their ethnicity using their own words if they don’t identify with any groups in the list.
As Migration Observatory Website states, discrimination against migrants in the UK can occur for various reasons. Some of the reasons, like ethnicity, skin colour, or religion, are shared with ethnic minorities born in the UK. Other reasons, such as foreign accents or qualifications, are more likely to affect foreign-born individuals. Identifying the exact reasons behind discriminatory behaviours is difficult because various factors might be at play at the same time. For example, a worker born in Somalia might experience discrimination due to their ethnicity, race, accent, religion, or foreign credentials.
Human rights and ethnic groups’ employment issues
According to Article 23 of human rights, everyone has the right to work, to choice of employment, to fair conditions of work and to protection against unemployment. Moreover, everyone, without discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.
Human rights are the basic rights that belong to every person in the world. The rights are based on important principles like fairness, dignity, respect and equality. It is unlawful for employers to violate individuals’ human rights.
The right to “equal treatment with respect to employment” protects persons in all aspects of employment. These aspects include applying for a job, recruitment, training, promotions, terms of apprenticeship, dismissals, layoffs and terminations. Moreover, it covers rate of pay, codes of conduct, hours of work, overtime, holidays, benefits, shift work, performance evaluations and discipline. A basic starting point for complying with the Code about all of these is to have a workplace where human rights are respected.
Violation of human rights and unemployment by ethnicity in the UK
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) today (7 August 2024) raised concerns to the United Nations about the different experiences many people from different ethnic minority groups face across justice, healthcare, and employment in England and Wales. The CERD is an international human rights agreement adopted in 1965. The UK agreed to follow CERD in 1969 to take action on removing racial discrimination in all its forms. EHRC stands for Equality and Human Rights Commission.
Unemployment by ethnicity UK shows violation of human rights by the UK government. There are violations of various human rights in the UK. As Citizen Network says, the UK Government is breaching the human rights of even its own citizens. The UK is at a crisis. Since 2010 the UK political leaders have lied to us.
Regarding discrimination, a survey showed that over one-third of individuals from minority groups in the UK have experienced racist assaults. A higher rate of unemployment for ethnic minorities is making life difficult for many people in the UK. People must have an equal chance of employment regardless of their ethnic background.
