Ethnic employment penalties in Britain

It has been known for many years that Britain's ethnic minorities suffer disadvantage in employment. Recent findings have, however, shown a gap between the experiences of different minority groups. Indians and Chinese have employment rates and earnings levels similar to those of white members of the population; Caribbeans, Africans, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis fare worse. Eleven years of Labour Force Survey data have been combined, so that the employment of men in their 20s and 30s can be analysed in terms of age and migration, educational qualifications, the economic environment and family structures. The contrasts between different groups' economic positions are all the more striking when educational attainments are taken into account.