Unemployment rates: by ethnic group and sex, 2001/02, GB
Unemployment rates for people from non-White ethnic groups were higher than those for White people, for both men and women.
In 2001/02, among men, Bangladeshis had the highest unemployment rate in Great Britain at 20 per cent - four times that for White British or White Irish men.
The unemployment rate among Indian men was only slightly higher than that for White British or White Irish men, 7 per cent compared with 5 per cent for the other two groups. Unemployment rates for all other non-White men were between two and three times higher than those for White British or White Irish men.
The picture for women was similar to that for men, although the levels of unemployment were generally lower. Bangladeshi women had the highest unemployment rate of all at 24 per cent, six times greater than that for White British or White Irish women (4 per cent each). The rate for Indian women was slightly higher than for White women at 7 per cent.
For all ethnic groups unemployment was highest among young people aged under 25. Over 40 per cent of young Bangladeshi men were unemployed. Young Black African men, Pakistani men and women, Black Caribbean men and women, and men belonging to the Mixed group had unemployment rates in excess of 20 per cent. The comparable unemployment rate for young White British men was 12 per cent and 9 per cent for young White British women.
Economic inactivity rates for people of working age: by ethnic group and sex, 2001/02, GB
Economic inactivity
Men and women from non-White ethnic groups were more likely than their White counterparts to be economically inactive, that is, not available for work and/or not actively seeking work. Reasons include being a student, being disabled, or looking after the family and home.
In 2001/02 Bangladeshi and Chinese men had high male economic inactivity rates - 31 per cent for each group. However the reasons for inactivity among these two groups were very different. Three quarters of inactive Chinese men were students compared with just under half of inactive Bangladeshi men; two fifths of inactive Bangladeshi men were long-term sick or disabled.
Bangladeshi and Pakistani women had the highest female economic inactivity rates (78 per cent and 72 per cent respectively). The majority of these women were looking after their family or home.
White British men and women had the lowest economic inactivity rates (15 per cent and 26 per cent respectively). Within each ethnic group women were more likely than men to be economically inactive.
Source: Annual Local Area Labour Force Survey 2001/02, Office for National Statistics.
Notes: Unemployment is an International Labour Organisation (ILO) recommended measure, used in household surveys such as the Labour Force Survey, which counts as unemployed those aged 16 and over who are without a job, are available to start work in the next two weeks, who have been seeking a job in the last four weeks or are waiting to start a job already obtained.
Unemployment rate: based on the ILO definition as a percentage of all economically active.
Economically inactive: people who are neither in employment nor unemployed. For example, those looking after the home, the retired, or those permanently unable to work.
Economic inactivity rates are expressed as a proportion of the working age population(men aged 16 to 64, women aged 16 to 59).
Other Black and Chinese groups were omitted from the Unemployment chart because sample sizes were too small for reliable estimates.
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