Minority Ethnic Employment
Transitions in England and
Wales: 1991-2001
Genna Kik (nee Smith)
University of Sheffield
g.l.smith@sheffield.ac.uk
Presented at ONS Longitudinal Study Ethnicity Research Workshop 11 Nov 05
Aims and Scope of Paper
Paper examines the degree to which different ethnic
groups are concentrated in certain occupations in
England and Wales. In particular the paper considers
whether ethnic clusters in the labour market have
changed over the past ten years between 1991-2001
by studying ethnic transitions in the labour market.
2
Outline
National Level
 Using the ONS Longitudinal Study - the positives and negatives
 Research Framework
In depth: Ethnic Employment Transitions
Future Research – Geographical Variation
Geography and the ONS Longitudinal Study – Problems and Positives
 Sub-national Ethnic Employment Transitions
3
Positives and the negatives of using
the ONS Longitudinal Study for this
research
+
• Large sample for studying
ethnic groups compared to
other data sources
• Following the trajectories of
the same individuals over time
• No alterations, top coding, or
grouping of small categories
• SOC 90 coded for 2001
census data
• Imputed values flagged
• Cell counts get small very
quickly when doing cross-tabs
– particularly if using ethnicity
• Continual process of
negotiation whether to
suppress or aggregate cells
• Problems with both strategies
– possible to see tables before
deciding on which strategy to
use.
4
•
•
•
•
•
Research Framework – National
Level
8 Ethnic Groups
SOC 90 Major Categories
SOC 90 Sub-Major Categories (Cross-sections only)
Economic Activity – 4 groups
Individuals present at 1991 and 2001 (Major Level)
– Data also received for males and females, and three different age
cohorts by Ethnic group
• Output from ONS Longitudinal Study: Cross-tabs
• Main Research Methods: Transition matrixes,
location quotients, shift-share analysis.
5
Standard Occupational
Classification (SOC 90)
• Managers and Administrators
(Corporate Managers and Administrators; Managers/Proprietors in Agriculture and Services)
• Professionals
(Science and Engineering Professionals; Health Professionals; Teaching Professionals; Other
Professionals)
• Associate Professional and Technical Occupations
(Science and Engineering Associate Professionals; Health Associate Professionals; Other
Associate Professionals)
• Clerical and Secretarial
(Clerical Occupations; Secretarial Occupations)
• Craft and Related Occupations
(Skilled Construction Trades; Skilled Engineering Trades; Other Skilled Trades)
• Personal and Protective Service Occupations
(Protective Services; Personal Services)
• Sales Occupations
(Buyers, Brokers and Sales Reps; Other Sales Occupations)
• Plant and Machine Operatives
(Industrial Plant and Machine Operators, Assemblers; Drivers and Mobile Machine Operators)
• Other Occupations
(Other Occupations in Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing; Other Elementary Occupations)
6
Measuring Occupational Concentration:
Location Quotients 1991
LQ Major Occupation 1991, All Persons
Other Other
Chinese
Bangladeshi
Pakistani
Indian
Black African
Black
Caribbean
White
Underrepresented
Managers and Administrators
1.018
0.356
0.543
0.99
0.539
0.366
1.374
0.603
Professional Occupations
1.015
0.465
0.987
0.919
0.426
0.278
0.835
1.086
Associate Professional and Technical
Occupations
1.009
1.504
1.495
0.64
0.293
0
1.536
1.281
Clerical and Secretarial Occupations
1.019
1.132
0.823
0.754
0.35
0.08
0.514
0.856
Craft and Related Occupations
1.022
0.86
0.3
0.916
0.497
0.321
0.067
0.445
Personal and Protective Service
Occupations
1.013
1.536
0.854
0.343
0.298
1.512
2.439
0.926
Sales Occupations
1.024
0.461
0.411
0.898
0.428
0.118
0.547
0.617
0.99
1.274
0.451
1.729
1.362
0.243
0.112
0.448
Other Occupations
1.022
1.262
0.975
0.647
0.379
0.232
0.34
0.599
Unemployed*
0.954
1.929
2.467
1.394
2.081
2.343
1.265
1.538
Student~
0.958
1.049
3.442
1.44
1.354
1.922
2.631
2.064
0.98
0.769
0.922
1.088
2.203
2.606
1.3
0.986
Other Inactive#
1.014
1.155
0.733
0.808
0.804
0.702
0.467
0.503
Aged 6-15
0.978
0.901
1.042
1.172
1.597
1.82
1.191
1.741
Plant and Machine Operatives
Looking after home/family
Source: ONS Longitudinal Study
Overrepresented
Highly Overrepresented
7
Measuring Occupational Concentration 2:
Location Quotients 2001
LQ Major Occupation 2001, All Persons
Other
Chinese
Bangladeshi
Pakistani
Indian
Black African
Black
Caribbean
White
Underrepresented
Managers and Administrators
1.014
0.596
0.713
0.981
0.537
0.406
1.126
0.808
Professional Occupations
0.994
0.662
1.593
1.236
0.731
0.346
1.675
1.52
Associate Professional and Technical
Occupations
1.012
1.172
1.625
0.648
0.249
0.152
1.408
1.245
Clerical and Secretarial Occupations
1.011
1.175
1
0.882
0.492
0.303
0.632
0.955
1.03
0.727
0.125
0.735
0.364
0.139
0
0.432
Personal and Protective Service
Occupations
1.009
1.118
1.458
0.521
0.507
1.315
2.077
1.079
Sales Occupations
1.008
0.541
0.24
1.104
0.723
0.631
0.919
1.023
Plant and Machine Operatives
0.998
0.864
0.609
1.433
1.425
0.315
0.09
0.61
Other Occupations
1.018
0.862
0.907
0.865
0.419
0.192
0.605
0.738
Unemployed*
0.951
1.98
2.359
1.344
2.269
2.327
1.208
1.86
Student~
0.935
1.297
2.329
1.958
2.195
2.269
1.994
2.507
Looking after home/family
0.964
0.885
0.887
0.998
3.032
4.009
1.321
1.222
Other Inactive#
1.004
1.187
0.721
0.919
1.058
1.196
0.746
0.642
Craft and Related Occupations
Source: ONS Longitudinal Study
Overrepresented
Highly Overrepresented
8
Change in Labour Market Concentration by Ethnic Group: 1991-2001 (Occupation and
Econom ic Activity)
White
2
B lack Caribbean
B lack A frican
1.5
Indian
Change in LQ
1
P akistani
B angladeshi
0.5
Chinese
Other Other
0
-0.5
-1
-1.5
M an ager s an d
Pr of ession al
Associat e
Cler icalan d
Cr af t an d
Per son alan d
Plan t an d
Ot her
Admin ist r at or s
Occupat ion s
Pr of ession alan d
Secr et ar ial
Relat ed
Pr ot ect ive
M achin e
Occupat ion s
T echn ical
Occupat ion s
Occupat ion s
Ser vice
Oper at ives
Sales Occupat ion s
Un employed*
St uden t ~
Lookin g af t er
Ot her I n act ive#
home/ f amily
Occupat ion s
Occupat ion s
Occupation (SOC 90) and Econom ic Activity
Source: ONS Longitudinal Study
9
The Indian Group: Progress and
Stability
Stability
• Modest employment growth
compared to other ethnic groups
in sample
• 41% retained same occupational
group between 1991-2001
• No large changes in occupational
concentration
• Concentration in Managerial and
Administrative; Associate
Professional; and Clerical and
Secretarial occupations remained
same
Progress
• Professional Occupations
–
–
–
–
Growth
High levels of retention
Increased concentration
New entrants and upwards labour
market mobility
– Sub-major level stability: remained
highly overrepresented as health
professionals, underrepresented
as teaching professionals
– Sub-major level growth: Science
and Engineering professionals
doubled in numbers, shift from
proportional to overrepresentation
•
Personal and Protective Services
and Sales
10
Continued…The Indian Group:
Progress and Stability
Some Occupational Decline
Future
• Craft and Related Occupations
• Plant and Machine Operatives
• Evidence from TM helped fuel
job growth in other
occupational groups
• Though higher proportions
than other occupational
groupings ending up in
unemployment and other
inactive
• Steady improvement looks set
to continue
– Increased numbers remaining
in post-16 education, and
increases in concentration
– Evidence from 1991-2001,
good track record of
translating post-16 education
into employment
– 1991-2001 good proportion of
individuals moving from
unemployment into jobs
compared to other ethnic
groups
– Job losses translated into
alternative employment
11
Black Caribbean Group: Labour
Market Polarity
• Only group to experience job decline
• One of weakest labour market positions
• Labour market polarity – gains made at ‘higher
end’ of labour market, and losses at the lower
levels
• Job losses in lower levels did not translate into
upward progression in labour market
• New entrants to the labour market fuelling job
growth
• Widening of intra-group disparities?
12
Continued…Black Caribbean
Labour Market Polarity
Increasing Occupational
Concentration
• Managers and
Administrators
• Professional Occupations
• Sources of Growth
– Upwards Occupational
Mobility (Clerical and
Secretarial, Associate
Professional)
– New entrants (Students)
Job Decline
• Large losses: Craft and
Related Occupations,
Plant and Machine
Operatives, Other
Occupations
• Other Losses: Personal
and Protective Services
• Large numbers entering
Other Inactive rather than
a different occupational
group
13
Black Caribbean Destinations 2001:
Occupation (SOC
90 Major)
Managers and
Administrators
Professional
Occupations
Associate
Professional and
Technical
Occupations
Clerical and
Secretarial
Occupations
Craft and Related
Occupations
Personal and
Protective Service
Occupations
Sales Occupations
Plant and Machine
Operatives
Other Occupations
% Retaining % Entering a
% Entering
Occupational
Different
Unemployment
Group 1991- Occupational
in 2001
2001
Group in
2001
37%
51.8%
Nil
% Entering
Other
Inactive in
2001
10.6%
54%
33.3%
Nil
12.2%
47.5%
27.5%
2%
21%
45.6%
33.7%
3.6%
8.1%
28.6%
20%
8.4%
26.7%
30.56%
24%
3.3%
37.6%
30.5%
26.2%
36.1%
27%
Nil
4.5%
33.3%
40.1%
19%
22%
5.7%
Source: ONS Longitudinal Study (Derived from BC Transition Matrix)
50.6%
14
Black Caribbean
Occupation 2001
Manage
rs and
Adminis
trators
Professi
onal
Occupat
ions
Black Caribbean
Occupation 1991
Associat
e
Professi
onal and
Technic
al
Occupat
ions
Clerical
and
Secretar
ial
Occupat
ions
Craft
and
Related
Occupat
ions
Personal
and
Protecti
ve
Service
Occupat
ions
Sales
Occupat
ions
Plant
and
Machin
e
Operati
ves
Other
Occupat
ions
Unempl
oyed*
Student
~
Other
Inactive
#
Looking
after
home/fa
mily
Total
Managers and
Administrators
37.65%
5.88%
10.59%
17.65%
5.88%
7.06%
4.71%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
10.59%
0.00%
17.39%
4.55%
4.66%
4.95%
3.88%
3.35%
7.84%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
1.18%
0.00%
Professional Occupations
22.81%
54.39%
10.53%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
12.28%
0.00%
7.07%
28.18%
3.11%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.92%
0.00%
9.50%
8.50%
47.50%
3.50%
0.00%
3.50%
0.00%
2.50%
0.00%
2.00%
0.00%
21.00%
2.00%
Associate Professional and
Technical Occupations
10.33%
15.45%
49.22%
2.31%
0.00%
3.91%
0.00%
4.24%
0.00%
2.68%
0.00%
5.51%
2.70%
Clerical and Secretarial
Occupations
11.97%
3.88%
7.77%
45.63%
1.29%
3.56%
2.59%
1.29%
1.29%
3.56%
2.27%
8.09%
6.80%
20.11%
10.91%
12.44%
46.53%
3.10%
6.15%
15.69%
3.39%
4.21%
7.38%
3.48%
3.28%
14.19%
Craft and Related
Occupations
4.19%
2.09%
2.62%
0.00%
44.50%
0.00%
0.00%
8.38%
3.14%
8.38%
0.00%
26.70%
0.00%
4.35%
3.64%
2.59%
0.00%
65.89%
0.00%
0.00%
13.56%
6.32%
10.74%
0.00%
6.69%
0.00%
Personal and Protective
Service Occupations
6.10%
3.76%
5.63%
3.29%
0.00%
28.64%
0.00%
1.88%
3.76%
3.29%
1.88%
37.56%
4.23%
7.07%
7.27%
6.22%
2.31%
0.00%
34.08%
0.00%
3.39%
8.42%
4.70%
1.99%
10.50%
6.08%
Sales Occupations
22.22%
0.00%
0.00%
13.89%
0.00%
0.00%
30.56%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
33.33%
0.00%
4.35%
0.00%
0.00%
1.65%
0.00%
0.00%
21.57%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
1.57%
0.00%
Plant and Machine
Operatives
4.46%
0.00%
0.00%
6.93%
5.45%
4.46%
0.00%
26.24%
5.94%
4.46%
0.00%
40.10%
1.98%
4.89%
0.00%
0.00%
4.62%
8.53%
5.03%
0.00%
44.92%
12.63%
6.04%
0.00%
10.63%
2.70%
Other Occupations
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
6.33%
0.00%
8.23%
0.00%
6.96%
18.99%
5.70%
0.00%
50.63%
3.16%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
3.30%
0.00%
7.26%
0.00%
9.32%
31.58%
6.04%
0.00%
10.50%
3.38%
4.32%
2.33%
4.32%
10.96%
5.65%
5.98%
2.33%
5.32%
5.32%
10.30%
1.33%
34.55%
7.31%
7.07%
6.36%
6.74%
10.89%
13.18%
10.06%
13.73%
13.56%
16.84%
20.81%
1.99%
13.65%
14.86%
15.38%
16.35%
7.69%
15.38%
0.00%
7.69%
0.00%
4.81%
0.00%
8.65%
7.69%
10.58%
5.77%
Student~
8.70%
15.45%
4.15%
5.28%
0.00%
4.47%
0.00%
4.24%
0.00%
6.04%
3.98%
1.44%
4.05%
Other Inactive#
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
97.24%
2.76%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
23.10%
3.38%
3.24%
1.85%
4.63%
7.87%
0.00%
13.89%
0.00%
0.00%
4.17%
5.56%
2.78%
30.56%
25.46%
3.80%
3.64%
5.18%
5.61%
0.00%
16.76%
0.00%
0.00%
9.47%
8.05%
2.99%
8.66%
37.16%
2.44%
1.36%
2.98%
10.30%
1.90%
4.34%
5.69%
1.08%
2.71%
11.11%
46.61%
4.88%
4.61%
4.89%
4.55%
5.70%
12.54%
5.43%
8.94%
41.18%
3.39%
10.53%
27.52%
85.57%
2.36%
11.49%
100.00%
100.00%
100.00%
100.00%
100.00%
100.00%
100.00%
100.00%
100.00%
100.00%
100.00%
100.00%
100.00%
Unemployed*
Looking after home/family
Aged 6-15
Total
Source: ONS Longitudinal Study
100.00%
100.00%
100.00%
100.00%
100.00%
100.00%
100.00%
100.00%
100.00%
100.00%
100.00%
100.00%
100.00%
100.00%
15
The Black African Group:
Change, Diversity and Progress
Change and Diversity
• One of fastest growing
ethnic groups in UK
• In LS sample size for
cross-sectional cross tabs
more than doubled for
group
• Internally diverse –
increasingly so with new
arrivals.
•
•
•
•
LS Sample
Small sample compared
to some minority ethnic
groups
May miss wider changes
that have occurred
Cross-sectional results
may be different
Advantage of the LS:
stable and settled Black
African group can be
traced
16
Continued…The Black African Group:
LM Progress
• High rates of job growth: Managerial and
Administrative, Professional, Associate
Professional and Personal and Protective
Service Occupations
• Key increases in labour market
concentration: Professional Occupations,
Personal and Protective Service
Occupations
17
The Pakistani Group
• Good Employment Growth
• However more individuals remain out of the labour
market than in
• High numbers outside the labour market has a
downward effect on occupational concentrations,
so…
• The group remained underrepresented in all
occupations except Plant and Machine Operatives,
where the group were overrepresented in both
years.
• Differences between Males and Females in 1991
and 2001
18
Continued…The Pakistani Group
• If look at only those in employment a different picture
emerges
• By 2001 compared to the working population the group is
proportionally or overrepresented in all but two
occupational groups – Associate Professionals and Craft
and Related.
• Professional Occupations and Sales stand out as having
strong increases in occupational concentration compared to
the working population
• Continue to be highly overrepresented in Plant and
Machine Operatives compared to the working population
• Future: Largest increase of concentration in post-16
education - should fuel further job growth. However 37% of
those who were students in 1991 were not in employment
by 2001, compared with only 14% of the Indian group, for
example, in a similar situation.
19
Future Research: Geographical
Variation
• Much of the literature on the labour market position of
minority ethnic group’s ignores the possibility labour
market profiles may vary across space.
• However there may be locally specific structures of
constraint and opportunity at work resulting in varying
labour market profiles across space for different groups.
• Examining local specificity may hold the key for
identifying the conditions that create, exacerbate, and
transform the labour market position of different groups.
20
Geography and the ONS
Longitudinal Study: Positives and
Pitfalls
+
• Range of geographical units to
choose from
• Not limited to Standard
Regions
• Can capture population living
in same area at two census
points or more
• Can look at differences
between those who have
stayed in an area and those
who have left/or arrived more
recently
• Geographical consistency?
• Smaller geographical units are
difficult if also looking at
ethnicity
• Metropolitan Areas were the
lowest level geography
available for this research
• At Metropolitan level, in some
areas some ethnic groups do
not have sufficient cell sizes
21
Research Framework: SubNational Level
• 8 Ethnic Groups
• 6 Metropolitan Areas: Inner London, Outer London,
Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire,
and West Midlands
• SOC 90 Major Categories
• Economic Activity – 4 groups
• Movers and Non-Movers
• Output from ONS Longitudinal Study: Cross-tabs
• Main Research Methods: Location quotients, shift-share
analysis.
22