This project aimed to explore new ways of measuring the extent of exclusion of minority ethnic groups (here termed ‘racialised minorities’) from the labour market. Minorities generally display lower rates of economic activity, lower employment rates and higher unemployment rates than the white majority population. However, when they are in work, they may not be able to access employment commensurate with their abilities or undertake as much work as they would like to do.

This project explores alternative ways of looking at access to work opportunities, using an ONS algorithm to estimate under-and over-employment, examine the prevalence of involuntary part-time working and estimating the difference between actual employment and the level of employment which would prevail if minority employment rates matched white employment rates for each level of educational qualification.

The project was undertaken for the West Midlands Combined Authority in collaboration with City-REDI, Birmingham University and identified a substantial deficit in employment for minority groups, most notably for women and people living in Birmingham

Project Team:

David Owen (Principal Investigator)

Project Duration:

September - November 2023

Funder: