Working hours and benefits

Full-time and part-time working

IT specialists in the UK are much less likely to work part-time than other workers, and in 2023, just 5% were working part-time hours compared with 24% of workers as a whole. Moreover, BAME IT specialists appear even less likely to be working in part-time positions (just 2% in 2023).

When asked why they were working part-time, the majority of part-timers stated that it was because they did not want a full-time job (68% of all workers and 85% of IT specialists) and this was also the case amongst BAME workers (55% for BAME workers as a whole and 85% for BAME IT specialists).

Incidence of part-time working (2023)

Source: Analysis of ONS Quarterly Labour Force Survey by BCS

Remuneration

In 2023, the median hourly earnings recorded for BAME IT specialists working in the UK stood at £23 per hour – a level 3% below that of white IT specialists but 44% higher than that for all BAME workers in the UK at that time (£16 per hour)^[3]

Median hourly earnings of full-time employees (2023)

Source: Analysis of ONS Quarterly Labour Force Survey by BCS

Responsibility

Using managerial/supervisory status as a proxy for the likelihood that individuals are given responsibility within their work, it would appear that during 2023, BAME IT specialists (that were employees) were just as likely to be in ‘positions of responsibility’ as their white counterparts with 40% in each case stating that they were a manager/foreman or team leader.

In both cases, the likelihood of individuals holding positions of responsibility was higher than amongst others in the workforce, amongst which comparison figures of 32% and 36% respectively were recorded (BAME/white).

Employees in 'responsible positions' (2023)

Source: Analysis of ONS Quarterly Labour Force Survey by BCS

^[3]All figures given are for full-time permanent employees.