Work and employment

This chapter looks at the labour market status of all ethnic groups using data produced by the Evidence for National Equality Survey (EVENS). It also studies their labour market outcomes in the form of labour force participation, employment and unemployment during the COVID-19 pandemic, both in absolute terms and relative to the White British majority. Furthermore, it compares the precarious employment (solo self-employed, temporary employment or zero-hours contracts) situation of ethnic minority groups to that of White British people. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, workers were placed on furlough, increased their work hours, took reductions in pay and changed occupations. This chapter therefore studies the differences in probability of these events occurring between ethnic minority people and their White British counterparts. Finally, it addresses the question whether ethnic minority people experience a greater probability of worrying about job security than White British people. Importantly, the analysis treats women and men separately throughout the chapter.