LRD guides and handbook November 2020

Tackling racism and inequality - a trade union guide

Chapter 1

Pay inequality

[ch 1: page 6]

And then, once they are in a job, BAME employees earn less than white employees. The average pay gap was 2.3% in 2019, though this figure masks much bigger gaps for some ethnic groups. Pakistani workers, for example, earn 16% less than their white counterparts. There are also larger pay gaps in different regions of the country.

These pay gaps arise from systemic race inequality and discrimination in every corner of the world of work, starting with employers’ recruitment processes and continuing through the whole employment relationship. These causes are examined in further detail in later chapters along with ways in which unions and employers can start to overcome them.

Percentage pay gap for ethnic groups compared with White group

Pakistani 15.5%
White and Black African 15.4%
Bangladeshi 15.3%
White and Black Caribbean 12.6%
Other ethnic group 8.5%
Black African 7.9%
Other White (incl gypsy/traveller) 7.6%
Other Asian background 7.5%
Other Black/African/Caribbean background 4.7%
Black Caribbean 3.7%
Arab 2.3%
White British 0%
Other Mixed/multiple ethnic background -0.1%
White and Asian -7%
Indian -15.5%
Chinese -23.1%
White Irish -40.5%

Source: Annual Population Survey

https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/articles/ethnicitypaygapsingreatbritain/2019