Page 53 - Urban Kapital New MAY JUNE 2020 ISSUE

WORK INEQUALITY & UK

MILLENNIALS

A NOT SO NEW CHALLENGE

The recent report released at the start are less likely to have a permanent
of 2020 in collaboration with contract than white counterparts for
Carnegie UK Trust, Operation Black all BAME communities.
Vote and UCL Centre for Longitudinal
Studies explored the connection among Within this framework, it is important
ethnicity, work and mental health. to underline the significant links
between employment status and
The everything-but-promising report mental health, also assessed in the
denounces that BAME millennials have report. Some ethnic minority groups compared to their white peers.
less stable working lives than their have more mental health problems The findings denounce that the
white counterparts. Specifically, the than white groups; specifically, the relationship between precarious
BAME workforce in England is 47% study shows that reported symptoms work and poor mental health is
more likely to be on zero-hours of mental ill health at age 14 or age becoming stronger for young
contracts according to the report, but 16 in BAME groups are more likely to generations.
this is not the only unenthusiastic data report mental ill health at age 25.
that has come out within the research. Indeed, the evidences suggest that
Even if the experiences are not the
The concerns of race inequality in the same for each ethnic group, the adolescent mental ill health is a
strong and significant predictor
UK have always been serious and majority of BAME backgrounds were of mental ill health in early adult-
complex areas for the country, since 58 per cent more likely to be hood, also due to the significant
fundamental issues around the access unemployed than their white challenge that BAME communities
to good work and high rates of people counterparts, according to the continue to experience in relation
with low paid job remains critical, even research. to access and engagement with
if some progression towards good work mental health
policies have been made. Pakistani, black African and mixed- services.
race backgrounds were more likely to
However, the most concerning data be unemployed than those who were Based on the report conclusions, a
from the report is that the Millennial white; on the other hand, series of recommendations for the
generation faces unique and Indian, Bangladeshi and black UK Government are advanced,
unaddressed challenges, particularly Caribbean adults were no more likely including a recommended increase
in relation to how young adults have to be out of work. in more coordinated and collabora-
entered and progressed through the la- tive thinking in policy and practice
bour market and how much they The findings hold even when other on the themes of good work, men-
experience mental health problems. factors that could affect labour mar- tal health and race equality.
ket success were taken into account,
Not only Millennials, but their parents including gender, family background Indeed, Downing Street cannot
too continue to be at a greater risk of and educational attainment. omit that BAME young adults are
being unemployed than White adults. 10 per cent more likely to be work-
BAME groups are more likely to be in Interestingly, the data show that ing a
some form of precarious work even if although BAME young people are at second job, 5 per cent more likely to
the government has tried to overcome greater risk of being in precarious be doing shift work, and 4 per cent
the problem by implementing the work, there is no additional advantage less likely to have a permanent
“Taylor Review of Modern Working or disadvantage in terms of reported contract.
Practices”, the “Good Work Plan”, or mental health for ethnic minorities at
the “Living Wage Campaign”. age 25 who are in precarious work As well as strongly advocating for
compared to white adults in
Despite an attention to the precari- precarious work. More broadly, the steps to tackle these inequalities,
the report reveals that a detailed
MAGAZINE // 52 employment, the probability of having mental health are reported among labour market experiences of MAGAZINE // 53
statistics show that higher rates of
ousness of the Millennial generation’s
understanding of the different
a permanent contract for BAME groups
minority groups at age 25
different BAME groups is lacking
is positively over 80%, even if 4.17%
but very much needed.