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November 2022
We recognised the need for understanding the impact of discrimination at work as well as rising cost of living for young people from an ethnic minority background.
According to our independent survey of 2,296 ethnic minority young people, seven in 10 (71%) have experienced some form of workplace discrimination. Almost half (46%) of young people from ethnic minority backgrounds have experienced discrimination when dealing with customers or clients at work, while two in five have experienced it when applying for a job (37%) and/or at a job interview (36%). With the cost of living crisis taking hold, two in five (40%) say their mental health has suffered.
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Barriers to achieving employment goals
null Which three of the following, if any, do you feel are most likely to be barriers to you achieving your goals and ambitions for work/employment in the future?
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% Future plans delayed Physical health issues Unable to afford essentials Mental health White<br />My mental health has suffered: 30 White<br />I have struggled /I am struggling to pay for essential goods and services (e.g. eating, heating): 23 White<br />My physical health has suffered: 16 White<br />My future plans have been delayed e.g. starting education, apprenticeships, starting my own business: 15 Asian/Asian British<br />My mental health has suffered: 44 Asian/Asian British<br />I have struggled /I am struggling to pay for essential goods and services (e.g. eating, heating): 22 Asian/Asian British<br />My physical health has suffered: 22 Asian/Asian British<br />My future plans have been delayed e.g. starting education, apprenticeships, starting my own business: 16 Black/African/Caribbean/Black British<br />My mental health has suffered: 41 Black/African/Caribbean/Black British<br />I have struggled /I am struggling to pay for essential goods and services (e.g. eating, heating): 31 Black/African/Caribbean/Black British<br />My physical health has suffered: 23 Black/African/Caribbean/Black British<br />My future plans have been delayed e.g. starting education, apprenticeships, starting my own business: 20 Middle Eastern<br />My mental health has suffered: 28 Middle Eastern<br />I have struggled /I am struggling to pay for essential goods and services (e.g. eating, heating): 18 Middle Eastern<br />My physical health has suffered: 27 Middle Eastern<br />My future plans have been delayed e.g. starting education, apprenticeships, starting my own business: 14 Mixed/Multiple<br />My mental health has suffered: 40 Mixed/Multiple<br />I have struggled /I am struggling to pay for essential goods and services (e.g. eating, heating): 28 Mixed/Multiple<br />My physical health has suffered: 16 Mixed/Multiple<br />My future plans have been delayed e.g. starting education, apprenticeships, starting my own business: 21 Other<br />My mental health has suffered: 54 Other<br />I have struggled /I am struggling to pay for essential goods and services (e.g. eating, heating): 34 Other<br />My physical health has suffered: 28 Other<br />My future plans have been delayed e.g. starting education, apprenticeships, starting my own business: 42 White Asian/Asian British Black/African/Caribbean/Black British Middle Eastern Mixed/Multiple Other
Young people from Asian backgrounds were more likely to select Mental health as a barrier to achieving their goals. Young people from Black backgrounds were more likely to highlight the inability to afford essentials compared to other backgrounds.
Impact of COVID-19
Ethnic Group Ethnic group Thinking again about the Covid-19 pandemic (beginning March 2020), in which of the below ways have you been negatively impacted?
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% Friendships suffered Education has suffered Mental health White<br />My mental health has suffered: 32 White<br />My education/grades have suffered: 20 White<br />My relationships with friends have suffered: 19 Asian/Asian British<br />My mental health has suffered: 50 Asian/Asian British<br />My education/grades have suffered: 33 Asian/Asian British<br />My relationships with friends have suffered: 25 Black/African/Caribbean/Black British<br />My mental health has suffered: 43 Black/African/Caribbean/Black British<br />My education/grades have suffered: 22 Black/African/Caribbean/Black British<br />My relationships with friends have suffered: 26 Middle Eastern<br />My mental health has suffered: 37 Middle Eastern<br />My education/grades have suffered: 26 Middle Eastern<br />My relationships with friends have suffered: 25 Mixed/Multiple<br />My mental health has suffered: 54 Mixed/Multiple<br />My education/grades have suffered: 30 Mixed/Multiple<br />My relationships with friends have suffered: 21 Other<br />My mental health has suffered: 67 Other<br />My education/grades have suffered: 24 Other<br />My relationships with friends have suffered: 41 White Asian/Asian British Black/African/Caribbean/Black British Middle Eastern Mixed/Multiple Other
For all ethnic groups, the pandemic affected their mental health, education, friendships and financial decisions.
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Cost of living crisis
Cost of living crisis Cost of living crisis Thinking about the rising cost of living, which of the following, if any, have you experienced over the past year?
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% Physical health issues Unable to afford essentials Mental health White<br />My mental health has suffered: 30 White<br />I have struggled / I am struggling to pay for essential goods and services (e.g. eating, heating): 23 White<br />My physical health has suffered: 16 Asian/Asian British<br />My mental health has suffered: 44 Asian/Asian British<br />I have struggled / I am struggling to pay for essential goods and services (e.g. eating, heating): 22 Asian/Asian British<br />My physical health has suffered: 22 Black/African/Caribbean/Black British<br />My mental health has suffered: 41 Black/African/Caribbean/Black British<br />I have struggled / I am struggling to pay for essential goods and services (e.g. eating, heating): 31 Black/African/Caribbean/Black British<br />My physical health has suffered: 23 Middle Eastern<br />My mental health has suffered: 28 Middle Eastern<br />I have struggled / I am struggling to pay for essential goods and services (e.g. eating, heating): 18 Middle Eastern<br />My physical health has suffered: 27 Mixed/Multiple<br />My mental health has suffered: 40 Mixed/Multiple<br />I have struggled / I am struggling to pay for essential goods and services (e.g. eating, heating): 28 Mixed/Multiple<br />My physical health has suffered: 16 Other<br />My mental health has suffered: 54 Other<br />I have struggled / I am struggling to pay for essential goods and services (e.g. eating, heating): 34 Other<br />My physical health has suffered: 28 White Asian/Asian British Black/African/Caribbean/Black British Middle Eastern Mixed/Multiple Other
The cost of living crisis has had a detrimental impact on their mental health as well as their ability to afford essentials.
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Workplace discrimination
Young people from ethnic minority backgrounds worry about how their ethnicity will impact their experience of the workplace Young people from ethnic minority backgrounds worry about how their ethnicity will impact their experience of the workplace Thinking specifically about your experiences of employment, have you ever experienced discrimination due to your ethnicity in any of the following situations?
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% Looking for new clients Seeking investment At a job interview Making a job application Work social events Engaging with clients When work is allocated With a careers adviser At a job centre At team meetings Annual review/appraisal Trying to get promoted White<br />Making an initial application for a job: 43 White<br />At a job interview: 40 White<br />Trying to get promoted at work: 44 White<br />At an annual review or appraisal at work: 34 White<br />At team meetings/gatherings at work: 38 White<br />With a job/work coach at a job centre: 33 White<br />With a careers adviser: 42 White<br />When work is being divided up and allocated to staff: 41 White<br />When engaging with customers, clients or external people: 45 White<br />Work social events: 33 White<br />When seeking investment to start my own business: 37 White<br />When looking for new customers/clients for my own business: 35 Asian/Asian British<br />Making an initial application for a job: 28 Asian/Asian British<br />At a job interview: 27 Asian/Asian British<br />Trying to get promoted at work: 24 Asian/Asian British<br />At an annual review or appraisal at work: 15 Asian/Asian British<br />At team meetings/gatherings at work: 25 Asian/Asian British<br />With a job/work coach at a job centre: 16 Asian/Asian British<br />With a careers adviser: 17 Asian/Asian British<br />When work is being divided up and allocated to staff: 25 Asian/Asian British<br />When engaging with customers, clients or external people: 39 Asian/Asian British<br />Work social events: 24 Asian/Asian British<br />When seeking investment to start my own business: 15 Asian/Asian British<br />When looking for new customers/clients for my own business: 16 Black/African/Caribbean/Black British<br />Making an initial application for a job: 50 Black/African/Caribbean/Black British<br />At a job interview: 48 Black/African/Caribbean/Black British<br />Trying to get promoted at work: 45 Black/African/Caribbean/Black British<br />At an annual review or appraisal at work: 37 Black/African/Caribbean/Black British<br />At team meetings/gatherings at work: 44 Black/African/Caribbean/Black British<br />With a job/work coach at a job centre: 40 Black/African/Caribbean/Black British<br />With a careers adviser: 35 Black/African/Caribbean/Black British<br />When work is being divided up and allocated to staff: 46 Black/African/Caribbean/Black British<br />When engaging with customers, clients or external people: 57 Black/African/Caribbean/Black British<br />Work social events: 47 Black/African/Caribbean/Black British<br />When seeking investment to start my own business: 36 Black/African/Caribbean/Black British<br />When looking for new customers/clients for my own business: 39 Middle Eastern<br />Making an initial application for a job: 55 Middle Eastern<br />At a job interview: 46 Middle Eastern<br />Trying to get promoted at work: 41 Middle Eastern<br />At an annual review or appraisal at work: 37 Middle Eastern<br />At team meetings/gatherings at work: 39 Middle Eastern<br />With a job/work coach at a job centre: 36 Middle Eastern<br />With a careers adviser: 35 Middle Eastern<br />When work is being divided up and allocated to staff: 46 Middle Eastern<br />When engaging with customers, clients or external people: 57 Middle Eastern<br />Work social events: 38 Middle Eastern<br />When seeking investment to start my own business: 43 Middle Eastern<br />When looking for new customers/clients for my own business: 40 Mixed/Multiple<br />Making an initial application for a job: 38 Mixed/Multiple<br />At a job interview: 40 Mixed/Multiple<br />Trying to get promoted at work: 40 Mixed/Multiple<br />At an annual review or appraisal at work: 31 Mixed/Multiple<br />At team meetings/gatherings at work: 45 Mixed/Multiple<br />With a job/work coach at a job centre: 34 Mixed/Multiple<br />With a careers adviser: 31 Mixed/Multiple<br />When work is being divided up and allocated to staff: 40 Mixed/Multiple<br />When engaging with customers, clients or external people: 48 Mixed/Multiple<br />Work social events: 45 Mixed/Multiple<br />When seeking investment to start my own business: 29 Mixed/Multiple<br />When looking for new customers/clients for my own business: 34 Other<br />Making an initial application for a job: 39 Other<br />At a job interview: 29 Other<br />Trying to get promoted at work: 13 Other<br />At an annual review or appraisal at work: 13 Other<br />At team meetings/gatherings at work: 20 Other<br />With a job/work coach at a job centre: 7 Other<br />With a careers adviser: 14 Other<br />When work is being divided up and allocated to staff: 25 Other<br />When engaging with customers, clients or external people: 32 Other<br />Work social events: 21 Other<br />When seeking investment to start my own business: 10 Other<br />When looking for new customers/clients for my own business: 7 White Asian/Asian British Black/African/Caribbean/Black British Middle Eastern Mixed/Multiple Other
Many young people have faced discrimination when making a job application, at interview, and when trying to engage with clients.
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