While reactions to the BBC’s release of star salaries have concentrated on the gender pay gap, there is also a major disparity between the corporation’s white and black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) stars. Only 10 people on the BBC “star list” were from a minority ethnic background, and they tended to fall into the lower end of the earnings scale.
As for the wider British workforce, a recent report found that BAME workers are much more likely than white workers to be in insecure jobs such as zero-hours contracts. And according to a major UK government-backed review, helping minority ethnic people to progress in their careers at the same rate as their white counterparts could add £24bn to the UK economy each year. The review stated that:
BAME individuals are both less likely to participate in and then less likely to progress through the workplace, when compared with white individuals. Barriers exist, from entry through to board level, that prevent these individuals from reaching their full potential. This is not only unjust for them, but the ‘lost’ productivity and potential represents a huge missed opportunity for businesses and impacts the economy as a whole.
Diversity within the UK labour market is unevenly distributed, with the most diverse jobs either low-skilled and insecure or highly skilled requiring qualifications and social capital. The Policy Exchange found that taxi driving and dentistry are the most diverse jobs in Britain, while just 1.4% of farmers are non-white.
As a BAME worker, if you have a story to share about dealing with bias or outright racism, unequal treatment or missed opportunities in the workplace – wherever you live and whatever you do – we’d like to hear from you. Either use the form below, or contact us directly at inequality.project@theguardian.com.
