Ethnic Differences in the Labour Market

The main aims of the paper are to explore how far class origins and qualifications can account for ethnic minority disadvantage in Britain and to explore whether they operate in the same way for the ethnic minorities as they do for the white majority. Thus the paper examines both the processes that promote inclusion into advantaged positions (in the professional and managerial classes of the salariat) and also the rather different processes that lead to exclusion to unemployment and the disadvantaged and poorly paid jobs of the semi-skilled and unskilled working class. Interest also focuses on entry into the petty bourgeoisie, which has often been used by members of ethnic minorities as a way of escaping from unemployment or low status manual work. The data cover first-generation men, that is men who were born overseas and migrated to Britain. With respect to social inclusion, the results show that class origins and educational qualifications can largely account for the overall disadvantages suffered by Irish men who have migrated to Britain. They also account for about half of the overall Caribbean and Pakistani disadvantage although still leaving substantial disadvantage unaccounted for. With respect to social exclusion, social origins and qualifications account for a much smaller proportion of the overall ethnic disadvantage. Many of these inclusion and exclusion processes work in much the same way for members of ethnic minorities as they do for whites. In particular, contrary to theoretical expectations, advantaged class origins bring the members of ethnic minorities much the same occupational benefits as they bring whites. However, entry to the petty bourgeoisie is a major exception: ethnic minorities are not nearly as successful as the British-born whites in passing on to their sons resources that are helpful for self-employment.