‘This disgraceful gap’

“Huge gaps” remain between the living standards of different ethnic groups, new research shows.

An average Bangladeshi household makes ÂŁ8,900 less than a white British one, while a typical Pakistani family earns ÂŁ8,700 less, a report for the Resolution Foundation think tank found.

A typical black African family earns ÂŁ5,600 less than the average white household, the foundation said.

Resolution Foundation spokesman Adam Corlett said, “Differences in living standards between ethnicities in Britain too often go ignored.

“This matters because income gaps between different minority ethnic groups and white British households are significant and persistent.”

More positively, the think tank said incomes for minority ethnic groups have increased in recent years.

Bangladeshi households have seen the biggest rises, with incomes growing by 38 per cent between 2001-03 and 2014-16.

Pakistani household incomes have increased by 28 per cent during the same period, the report said.

Corlett said, “We should be encouraged by the fact that there have been big improvements in some instances, such as the impressive employment gains seen among black, Bangladeshi and Pakistani men and women.

“Thanks to this and other factors, since the turn of the millennium, Bangladeshi and Pakistani households have actually seen the fastest income growth.”

Despite some progress, Unite national officer for equalities Harish Patel said there was still much work to be done to close the income gap between ethnic groups.

Patel commented, “The reasons for the difference in household incomes between ethnicities are varied and complex. However, the report is clear that employment patterns remain a major factor.

“Unfortunately in 21st century Britain it is fact that many BAME people still face major barriers to employment.”

Patel explained that Unite is working to remove those barriers.

He said, “Unite is dedicated to ensuring that discrimination and institutional racism and bias in all their forms are eradicated from the workplace.

“This includes measures to tackle the under representation of BAME workers at all levels, bargaining for ethnic monitoring at the workplace, making sure members have access to equality reps and educating on race equality.
“Opposing race discrimination and promoting equality for all is a central tenet of trade unionism. That’s why Unite is committed to helping close the disgraceful gap in living standards that exists between people of different ethnicities.”