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Racism still rife in business

Oct 20 2009

Racial discrimination in recruitment still exists towards people from ethnic minority backgrounds, according to research from the Department for Work and Pensions.

The study showed discrimination against those applying for jobs with names that did not sound white British.

For every nine applications sent by a white applicant, an equally good applicant with an ethnic minority name had to send sixteen to obtain a positive response.

Jim Knight, Minister for Employment and Welfare Reform, says: ‘This research clearly shows that some employers are discriminating when it comes to choosing staff. This has no place in a modern society and racial discrimination cannot be allowed to continue.’

According to research from equality campaign organisation Race for Opportunity, only 4.3 per cent of board-level employees are from an ethnic minority, compared to 8.5 per cent in the total workforce.

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