British workforce more diverse than at any time in history

THE British workforce is more diverse than at any point in history, with one in nine employees now from an ethnic minority background.

The difference in employment rates between the overall population and ethnic minorities is also at its smallest for over 20 years.

But the proportion of people out of work who are from minority backgrounds is at its highest since current records began.

The new figures, from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), show that roughly 11 per cent of Britain’s 30 million workforce are from an ethnic minority background – up from 4 per cent two decades ago.

This is broadly in line with how the population as a whole has changed. Ethnic groups made up 5 per cent of British citizens in 1995 compared with 12 per cent in 2015. There is slightly higher diversity among the male workforce than for females. Almost one in eight men of working age are now from an ethnic minority background, while the figure for women is closer to one in 10.

There is also a difference in representation among types of job. According to the DWP, people from ethnic minority groups are more likely to be employed in accommodation and food services, wholesale and retail trade, transportation and storage, and human health and social work.

They are less likely to be employed in the manufacturing, construction and education sectors.

In addition, the figures show that of those of working age and currently unemployed, around one in five (22 per cent) is from an ethnic minority group: double the number for 20 years ago (11 per cent).