Black workers in Britain are paid less than white colleagues with equal qualifications, new data reveals

Figures provided by the TUC show that black employees are earning an average of £1.15 an hour less than their white counterparts

Frances O’Grady wants the Government to force employers to publish pay data broken down by ethnicity (AFP)

Black workers do not get paid as much as their white colleagues with the same qualifications, it has been suggested.

Among those with A-levels, black workers earn about 10 per cent less than those who are white, missing out on around £1.20 an hour on average, according to an analysis by the TUC.

Those with degrees face a 14 per cent pay gap – about £2.63 less per hour. Black employees – those from Black, African, Caribbean or Black British backgrounds – with higher education certificates and diplomas are paid around 20 per cent less, equivalent to about £2.98 an hour.

In addition, black school leavers with GCSE grades of C or above take home about 12 per cent less than their white classmates, while those with no qualifications face a 5 per cent shortfall.

Regardless of qualifications, black workers earn around 8.3 per cent less – an average of around £1.15 an hour – than white workers, the TUC calculated.

The analysis used official labour force statistics to calculate hourly pay rates based on average gross hourly pay.

Frances O’Grady, the TUC general secretary, said: “Whether they have PhDs or GCSEs, black workers simply aren’t getting paid the same as white workers with similar qualifications.

“Students get their A-level results this week. The harsh reality is that race will still play a huge role in how much they get paid.

“It’s time for the Government to require employers to publish pay data broken down by ethnicity. Then we can see where the problems are and put pressure on bosses to close the pay gap.”

Press Association