Press Release - 6 September 2006

Leading ethnic minority charity welcomes findings that UK Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities suffer above average unemployment

A leading economic development charity has welcomed a report published today that reveals that Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities suffer higher levels of unemployment than other communities in the UK.

Bradford-based QED-UK is the only charity in the UK to work specifically with Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities under its Narrowing the Gap Project, supported by the Treasury's Invest to Save initiative supported by the Department of Work and Pensions; its also involved with a number of projects designed to improve the education and employment opportunities for these groups.

The report, by the Institute of Employment Studies (IES) shows that 27 per cent of Pakistani and Bangladeshi households have no-one in work compared with 15.5 per cent of all households.

The IES surveyed Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities in Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Glasgow and Tower Hamlets and concluded that the main barriers to employment were:

• low levels of education and qualifications;
• low levels of confidence;
• limited work experience.

Chief executive of QED-UK, Dr Mohammed Ali OBE, says: "Today's research gives tangible evidence of what QED-UK has known for some time. Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities in the UK are finding it increasingly difficult to succeed in the workplace as a result of low-levels of education and or being under-skilled.

Current government programmes to address unemployment clearly aren't working for Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities. With unemployment comes deprivation and vulnerability. Both of these factors create breeding grounds ripe for extremism of any kind.

The Government must do more to show it is taking the problems of Pakistani and Bangladeshi unemployment seriously."

The IES report makes a series of recommendations for the Government to help it tackle Pakistani and Bangladeshi unemployment. These include:

• setting job targets fort Pakistanis and Bangladeshis - especially women;
• introduce incentives for employer-led training;
• Increase the involvement of community and voluntary groups

For media enquiries contact Simon Collister by telephoning 01423 567111 (07971612857 out-of-hours). Alternatively email: simon@cicada-pr.com