Period, life-cycle and generational effects on ethnic minority success in the British labour market (original) (raw)

The paper uses repeated cross-section data in order to trace the experiences of different generations of ethnic minorities over time in the British labour market. It distinguishes life cycle, generational and period effects on ethnic minority experience in the labour market (focussing on ethnic penalties with respect to employment). On theoretical grounds, we might expect to find some "catching up" with respect to all three. However, the paper finds little evidence of catching up on the part of the most disadvantaged groups-Black Africans, Black Caribbeans and Pakistanis and Bangladeshis-either over the life cycle, generations, or historical time. In contrast the various white groups had relatively little catching up to do and show trajectories that are fairly similar to those of the white British majority population. These white groups are also joined by the Indians and Chinese minorities who are relatively successful in the labour market. The paper discusses several mechanisms that may account for the differential patterns, like discrimination, community structures and enclave economies, or changing frames of reference. * We are grateful to the ESRC for funding this research (Socio-economic position and political support of the BMEs in Britain (1971-2004), ESRC (RES-163-25-0003)) and for the UK Data Archive for making data accessible to us. We are also grateful to Frank Kalter, Richard Alba and Frank van Tubergen for their insightful comments and suggestions for an earlier version of the paper. We alone are responsible for any error that might exist in the analysis and interpretation of the data reported in this paper.