EMPLOYMENT AMONG MINORITIES RISE AS RACE AUDIT SHOWS RESULTS by ALOK SHARMA Minister of state for employment at the Department of Work and Pensions LAST week, we saw encouraging figures from the Office for National Statistics that showed employment in this country at a record high, unemployment at a 40-year low, the employment rate for black and minority ethic people at an all-time high and the number of young people out of work down by over 400,000 since 2010. These are hugely promising figures, with more than 1,000 jobs being created a day under this government and more people having the security of a regular pay packet to provide for themselves and their families. On top of this good news, wages are now growing faster than prices, meaning that people are starting to feel the benefit of more money in their pockets. This is another turning point as we build a stronger, fairer economy. In 2015, the Conservatives made a commitment to getting BAME employment up by 20 per cent by 2020. In three years, we have already come along way and are close to reaching our goal. We are seeing the employment gap at an all-time low, with BAME employment up by 36 per cent since 2010. I was particularly encouraged to see these figures but there is always more that can, and should, be done. Britain has come a long way in spreading equality and opportunity and we have seen our own prime minister championing these issues. At the end of last year, Theresa May published the Race Disparity Audit, shining a light on how our public services treat people from different backgrounds. The audit will become an essential resource to tackle injustices at all levels of society, from central government to local communities. It will challenge society,…
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