No Black in the Union Jack: UK Employment Discrimination Rampant

The study examined students' trajectories as they progressed through primary and secondary school through to sixth form and university and how attainment at school translates into the labor market — it found young people encounter barriers to social mobility at each stage, brought about by a combination of socioeconomic status, gender and ethnicity.

​For instance, 70 percent of children from lower income Chinese families were found to be highly likely to move on to higher education after secondary school, while 50 percent of Bangladeshi and 30 percent of black Caribbean youngsters accessed university. The numbers were far lower for white British kids, with only 10 percent continuing their education, but when the groups enter the workplace, ethnic minority groups are given fewer secure offers. 

Muslim women in particular were found to be affected by underlying workplace prejudices, especially in respect of obtaining jobs at managerial level or in professional occupations. Overall, Bangladeshi and Pakistani women are the lowest earners of all non-white ethnic groups.

Alan Milburn MP, chair of parliament's Social Mobility Commission, said the findings suggest Britain's social mobility promise — that that hard work will be rewarded — is being broken for too many in the UK, and renewed action is needed by government, educators and employers to dismantle barriers to success.

​"It is striking that many of the groups doing best at school or improving their results the most are losing out when it comes to jobs and opportunities later in life. It is also deeply concerning that poor white British boys are doing so badly in education, from the early years through to university, yet are less likely to be unemployed and face social immobility than young people from black and Asian communities. Britain is a long way from having a level playing field of opportunity for all, regardless of gender, ethnicity or background," Alan Milburn MP said.

The conclusion of the report offers a list of suggestions of how different British establishments can help address the problems it highlights.

​Universities are advised to invest in widening participation programs, tackle high dropout rates among students and make further efforts to appeal to poor youths; businesses to employ specific support for Asian Muslim women in order to abet the progress of their careers; schools to work with parents in groups shown to be the least likely to get involved in their children's education, such as low income families, and Gypsy and traveler groups.