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19 An increase in the employment rates of disadvantaged groups –disabled people, lone parents, ethnic minority people, people aged 50 and over and the lowest qualified –and a reduction in the difference between their employment rates and the overall rate (Great Britain).
Baseline and trends: Baseline year 1997 for lone parents, the over-50s and the lowest qualified; 1998 for people with disabilities and ethnic minority people. The employment rates for all these groups were lower than the national employment rate. Between 1997 and 2006, there was a rise in the employment rates of the over-50s from 64.7 per cent to 70.9 per cent and of lone parents from 45.3 per cent to 56.6 per cent. The employment rate of disabled people has increased from 38.1 per cent in 1998 to 47.4 per cent in 2006, and the employment rate of ethnic minority people has increased from 56.2 per cent to 60.6 per cent over the same period. The employment rate for the lowest qualified has fallen from 51.7 per cent in 1997 to 49.4 per cent in 2006. Spring 2006 was the last Labour Force Survey Spring quarterly dataset to be published. The Labour Force Survey moved to calendar quarters from quarter 2 2006. Because the data is not seasonally adjusted, it is not possible to directly compare 2007 Q2 with the Spring quarters of previous years. The 2007 figures are 71.6 per cent for over 50s, 47.2 per cent for disabled people, 60.1 per cent for ethnic minorities, 57.2 per cent for lone parents, and 50.1 per cent for the lowest qualified. Note: while there is no comparable Spring data for 2007, comparable Q2 data are available back to 1997 for all series, except ethnic minorities (2001) and disabled (1999).
Employment rates of disadvantaged groups (Great Britain)
Note: Refer to note under data tables below.
| 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | 71.2% | 70.4% | 70.7% | 71.3% | 71.8% | 72.6% | 73.2% | 73.7% |
| Over 50s | 63.5% | 62.1% | 62.6% | 63.3% | 63.8% | 64.7% | 65.7% | 66.3% |
| Ethnic minority people | - | 52.6% | 51.3% | 52.5% | 53.3% | 56.2% | 56.2% | 56.0% |
| Lone parents | - | - | - | - | - | 45.3% | 46.6% | 48.4% |
| Disabled people | - | - | - | - | - | - | 38.1% | 41.5% |
| Lowest qualified | 58.0% | 55.9% | 53.9% | 53.2% | 53.6% | 51.7% | 50.6% | 50.0% |
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | |
| All | 74.4% | 74.5% | 74.3% | 74.6% | 74.7% | 74.6% | 74.4% | 74.3% |
| Over 50s | 66.9% | 68.2% | 68.1% | 70.0% | 70.2% | 70.7% | 70.9% | 71.6% |
| Ethnic minority people | 57.3% | 57.1% | 57.8% | 57.3% | 59.3% | 58.4% | 60.6% | 60.1% |
| Lone parents | 51.2% | 51.5% | 53.3% | 53.1% | 54.3% | 56.6% | 56.6% | 57.2% |
| Disabled people | 42.4% | 42.9% | 43.7% | 45.0% | 46.3% | 46.6% | 47.4% | 47.2% |
| Lowest qualified | 50.8% | 50.1% | 49.8% | 50.2% | 49.8% | 49.6% | 49.4% | 50.1% |
| Percentage points | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | |
| Over 50s | 7.7 | 8.3 | 8.1 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 7.9 | 7.5 | 7.4 |
| Ethnic minority people | - | 17.8 | 19.4 | 18.8 | 18.5 | 16.4 | 17.0 | 17.7 |
| Lone parents | - | - | - | - | - | 27.3 | 26.5 | 25.3 |
| Disabled people | - | - | - | - | - | - | 35.1 | 32.2 |
| Lowest qualified | 13.2 | 14.5 | 16.8 | 18.1 | 18.2 | 20.9 | 22.6 | 23.7 |
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | |
| Over 50s | 7.5 | 6.3 | 6.2 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 2.7 |
| Ethnic minority people | 17.1 | 17.4 | 16.5 | 17.3 | 15.4 | 16.2 | 13.8 | 14.2 |
| Lone parents | 23.2 | 23.0 | 21.0 | 21.5 | 20.4 | 18.0 | 17.8 | 17.1 |
| Disabled people | 32.0 | 31.6 | 30.6 | 29.6 | 28.4 | 28.0 | 27.0 | 27.1 |
| Lowest qualified | 23.6 | 24.4 | 24.5 | 24.4 | 24.9 | 25.0 | 25.0 | 24.2 |
|
Note: Data from 2001 onwards for ethnic minority people are not comparable with earlier years. The Labour Force Survey has been revised in line with Census 2001 population estimates. Data for lone Parents were not available prior to 1997 at the time of going to print. All gaps were calculated using the disadvantaged groups' employment rate and the employment rate for Great Britain. Comparable data for ethnic minorities were not available for 1992. |
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The gap between the employment rate for most of these groups and the overall rate has narrowed since the baseline from 7.9 percentage points to 3.5 percentage points for the over-50s, 27.3 to 17.8 percentage points for lone parents, 35.1 to 27.0 percentage points for people with disabilities, and 17.0 to 13.8 percentage points for ethnic minority people. There has been an increase in the employment rate gap for the lowest qualified, from 20.9 percentage points in 1997 to 25.0 percentage points in 2007. In 2007 (Q2 data) the figures are 2.7 percentage points for over 50s, 17.1 percentage points for lone parents, 27.1 percentage points for people with disabilities, 14.2 percentage points for ethnic minority people, and 24.2 percentage points for the lowest qualified.
Employment rate gaps: the difference between employment rates of disadvantaged groups and the overall rate (Great Britain)
Note: Refer to note under data table above.
Definition: All of the targets are for the working-age population, males aged 1664 and females aged 1659. The over-50s are defined as those aged 50 and over but below State Pension age (that is, 5059 for women and 5064 for men). People with disabilities consist of those covered by the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 only (their day-to-day activities are substantially limited by a long-term current disability). Data for lone parents are based on lone parents with dependent children aged 018 years. Ethnic minority people are all those respondents to the Labour Force Survey who classify themselves as non-White. The lowest qualified are the 15 per cent of the working-age population with the lowest qualifications. Up to spring 2002, this covered only those without qualifications. It should be noted that the disadvantaged groups covered in this indicator (people with disabilities, lone parents, ethnic minority people, the lowest qualified and those aged 50 and over) are not mutually exclusive.
Ethnicity data from spring 2001 onwards are based on the new ethnicity variable in the Labour Force Survey ethcen15 and are not directly comparable with previous years.
Disabled people are those covered by the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, but not those who have a work-limiting disability, as in Spending Review 2002. This new definition has been reflected in the charts and data above, and therefore data will differ from the last Opportunity for all report.
For Spending Review 2004, which covers the period spring 2005 to spring 2008, over-50s are those aged between 50 and 69 (both male and female), which is different to the Spending Review 2002 definition of those between 50 and State Pension age. This new definition is not reflected in the charts and data above, but will be included in future reports.
Data source: People with disabilities quarterly Labour Force Survey, spring quarters 1998 onwards. Lone parents Household Labour Force Survey spring release. Ethnic minority people spring quarters from 1993 to 2006 Labour Force Survey. Over-50s and the lowest qualified quarterly Labour Force Survey spring quarters 1992 to 2006. Employment rates are for all of working age (except for rates of the over-50s).
In 2007 all data from the Labour Force Survey moved to calendar quarter basis: Q2 is measured April to June.
Further information
Detailed national labour market data is available from the Office for National Statistics.
The time series for the seasonally unadjusted employment rate for Great Britain, along with breakdowns by Government Office Regions, and by gender, is available at:
www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_labour/LMS_FR_HS/WebTable18nsa.xls
Over 50s
For further information on Older Workers see the Older Workers: Statistical Information Booklet. The latest version of this publication can be found on the age positive website:
www.agepositive.gov.uk/publications/statistical_Q4_Autumn_06.pdf
Additional information on Older workers can be found on the Age Positive website, and in the DWP Five Year Strategy document.
For research on Older Workers see:
“Labour market transitions among the over-50’s”
www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/rports2005-2006/rrep296.pdf
“Factors affecting the labour market participation of older workers: Qualitative research”
www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/rports2005-2006/rrep281.pdf
Ethnic minority people
Further information about the ethnic minority PSA target 4c – to increase the employment rate of ethnic minorities and close the gap between the ethnic minority employment rate and that of the rest of the country can be found on the Ethnic Minorities Employment Task Force website:
www.emetaskforce.gov.uk/index.asp
Further information about the overall strategy for meeting the ethnic minorities’ employment PSA target can be found in the EMETF progress report.
It shows the evidence base for the strategy, sets out the achievements of the Task Force in its second year and demonstrates those areas in which the Task Force will seek to further develop policies to improve the employment position of ethnic minority people:
www.emetaskforce.gov.uk/reports.asp
For research on Ethnic Minority People see:
“Ethnic penalties in the labour market: Employers and discrimination”
www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/rports2005-2006/rrep341.pdf
Lone parents
Information on the PSA target relating to lone parents can be found in the DWP Departmental Report 2006, chapter 3.
For research on Lone Parents see:
“Work focussed interviews and lone parent initiatives: further analysis of policies and pilots”
www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/rports2005-2006/rrep319.pdf
Disabled people
Information on the PSA target relating to disabled people can be found in the DWP Departmental Report 2006, chapter 3.
For research on disabled people see:
“New Deal for Disabled People: Survey of Registrants – Report of Cohort 3”
www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/rports2005-2006/rrep369.pdf
“Pathways to work from incapacity benefits: A study of experience and use of Return to Work Credit”
www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/rports2005-2006/rrep353.pdf
Lowest qualified
Information on the PSA target relating to the lowest qualified can be found in the DWP Departmental Report 2006, chapter 3.
For research on the Lowest Qualified see:
“What employers look for when recruiting the unemployed and inactive: skills, characteristics, and qualifications”
www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/rports2005-2006/rrep295.pdf
“Training participation by age amongst unemployed and inactive people”
www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/rports2005-2006/rrep291.pdf
Other Research:
“Research into multiple disadvantaged groups in European Social Fund Objective 3 in England”
www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/rports2005-2006/rrep286.pdf