Research and analysis
Outcomes in labour market for ethnic minorities by immigrant generation status
This paper explores the likelihood of unemployment and economic inactivity by people's ethnicity, gender and whether they are first or second generation immigrants.
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In this paper, the Equality Hub examines the labour market outcomes of working age adults (16 to 64 year olds) living in the UK. It compares outcomes for:
- people born abroad (‘first generation’ immigrants)
- people with at least one parent born abroad (‘second generation’)
- white British people – people who identify as ‘white British’ ethnicity, and whose parents were both born in the UK
The purpose of this research is to establish the social mobility journey of migrants coming to the UK, and understand how migration status impacts on ethnic disparities in the UK.
Findings include:
- second generation immigrants of some ethnic minority groups perform better than white British people when looking at unemployment and economic inactivity
- some ethnic groups still face disparities in the labour market, with higher likelihoods of being unemployed or economically inactive compared with white British people
Controlling for educational qualifications, health, marital status, geography, difficulties speaking English and being a parent of a child under 16 years old, we found that:
- education and health are the main factors that affect labour market outcomes
- for men, being single is associated with higher likelihood of unemployment – while for women, having a child is associated with higher likelihood of economic inactivity
- generation is a vital factor that affects labour market outcomes for ethnic minorities
Updates to this page
Published 17 April 2023