Workers with degrees who identify as black, African, Caribbean, or black British earn 23 per cent less than their white counterparts on average, according to analysis from the TUC.
In contrast ‘unqualified’ workers – those more likely to be in jobs at, or close to, the minimum wage – earn “virtually” the same amount irrespective of their ethnicity.
But the racial pay gap widens as people attain higher levels of education, with black graduates earning £4.33 an hour less than a white employee with a degree.
TUC analysis of the ONS Labour Force Survey figures found that the ethnicity pay gap is at its widest at degree level.
Black workers with A-levels earn 14.3 per cent less on average than their white counterparts. At GCSE level, black employees typically get paid 11.4 per cent less than their white peers.
The pay gap between white workers and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) employees, regardless of education, stands at 5.6 per cent. While the gap for black workers is much higher at 12.8 per cent.
Rebecca joined the HRreview editorial team in January 2016. After graduating from the University of Sheffield Hallam in 2013 with a BA in English Literature, Rebecca has spent five years working in print and online journalism in Manchester and London. In the past she has been part of the editorial teams at Sleeper and Dezeen and has founded her own arts collective.
