Pay inequality
[ch 1: page 6]Partly because of this picture of casualised working, BAME workers earn less on average than white workers. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) showed that the overall pay gap between white and BAME workers in 2013 was around 50 pence an hour.
It is not a completely universal picture — ethnic minorities are clustered into both low-paid and high-paid occupations. But they are much more likely to be clustered in low-paid ones.
The TUC’s analysis showed that 37% of BAME employees worked in low-paid sectors (as defined by the Low Pay Commission), compared with 29% of white employees. For example, high proportions work in residential care jobs and through agencies.
And this is not just down to differences in qualifications — the TUC has also shown that black workers with degrees earn a quarter less, on average, than white workers with degrees. Those with A-levels are also paid less.