Individuals from BAME (black, asian and minority ethnic) groups accounted for 17% of the working age population in 2023, 16% of those in work and 28% of the unemployed.
At 21%, BAME representation was higher amongst IT specialists than within the workforce as a whole (15%) and in total during 2023 there were 416,000 BAME IT specialists in the UK.
BAME representation amongst IT specialists varies significantly across the UK - from just 5-6% in the North East, Wales and Northern Ireland (5-year averages) to 35% in London.
BAME representation amongst IT specialists in 2023 ranged from just 11% of telecoms engineers to 30% of ‘other’ IT professionals.
BAME IT specialists were notably more likely to be working in non-permanent positions as their ‘white’ counterparts (7% and 2% respectively).
There were approximately 17,000 unemployed IT specialists from BAME ethnic groups in the UK during 2023 – 44% of all unemployed IT specialists in the UK at that time.
The associated unemployment rate for BAME IT specialists (4.0%) was more than three times higher than that of their ‘white’ counterparts (1.4%).
BAME IT specialists were marginally more likely to be self-employed than other IT specialists during 2023 (7% compared with 6% of those from white ethnic groups).
Almost one half (47%) of all BAME IT specialists were working in IT businesses in 2023 - a higher proportion than for those of white ethnicity (42%) and IT specialists as a whole (43%).
BAME representation amongst IT specialists was lowest within the energy/water sector where just 9% were from BAME ethnic groups.
In 2023, BAME IT specialists (full-time employees) were earning 3% less than those of white ethnicity with median hourly rates of £23 and £24phr respectively.
BAME IT specialists were equally likely to be in ‘positions of responsibility’ as those of white ethnicity with 40% in each case stating that they were a manager/foreman or team leader in 2023.
Almost nine in ten BAME IT specialists have an HE level qualification (88%) compared with around seven in ten (71%) of those from white ethnic groups.
BAME IT specialists are much less likely than others to find employment from contacts in post (12% compared with 16% of white IT specialists over the 2019–23 period).
