A new study has discovered that young people from minority ethnic backgrounds face a higher risk of being in unstable jobs.
According the study, young ethnic minority workers are more likely to be in unstable jobs. The research was conducted by the Carnegie Trust, University College London's Centre for Longitudinal Studies and Operation Black Vote.
The researchers found that these workers are 47% more likely to to be on a zero-hours contract and are 4% less likely to have a permanent job. They compared the experiences of 25-year-olds in England.
The study involved people who are white, along with mixed-race, Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Black African and Caribbean, and other minority ethnicities, sometimes collectively known as BAME workers.
The study also found that such employment instability could lead to bad mental health. Douglas White from Carnegie UK Trust said: "Good work can have a really positive impact on people's well-being - but we need to tackle the inequalities in who has access to good quality jobs."
"This report highlights that young people from BAME communities are particularly likely to enter into precarious forms of work. We need policy and practice to recognise and respond to this to ensure that good work is available to all," White added.
The researchers suggested that employers need to conduct internal audits of pay, employment terms and promotions when it comes to race. They also call on the government to act on the gap in pay BAME workers experience.
Lord Simon Woolley of Operation Black Vote pointed out: "This report must be a serious wake up call for the government, industry and our mental health practitioners."
"The race penalty in the work space is further exacerbated by mental health issues. It's a double hit if you're from a BAME community. We can, however, turn this around, but we need collective leadership," Wooley argued.
