Ethnic minority representation in the UK labour market is uneven. Some sectors are making measurable progress and opening up more opportunities, while others still lag behind, especially at leadership levels and in higher-paid roles. Knowing where these trends are can help jobseekers focus their search and employers shape their recruitment strategies with real context.

National context

Overall, people from ethnic minority backgrounds make up a significant part of the UK workforce, but their experiences in employment vary. UK government labour market statistics show that ethnic minorities have a lower employment rate than white people. In 2022, 77% of white workers were employed compared with 69% for people from other ethnic groups combined, highlighting a persistent employment gap. ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk

These national figures are important because they reflect broader patterns, but they also mask differences between sectors, job levels and roles.

Sectors showing stronger representation

Public Sector and Civil Service
Some progress is visible in public employment. Recent government workforce data shows that 18% of civil servants come from ethnic minority backgrounds, up from 16.6% the year before. Representation is higher in mid-level grades, though still lower at senior levels. GOV.UK

Public services often have structured diversity goals, transparent reporting and formal equality policies. That consistency helps improve visibility and accountability for ethnic minority staff within roles at many levels, even if progress can still feel slow for some groups.

Technology and IT Roles
There has been growth in ethnic diversity among technology professionals compared with some other sectors. Around 21% of IT specialists in the UK identify as members of ethnic minority groups, although representation still declines significantly at senior or specialist levels. GOV.UK

This sector’s relative openness partly reflects continued skills shortages and demand for tech talent, which encourages broader recruitment efforts and pathways for career changers.

Sectors with persistent representation gaps

Finance, Professional and Legal Services
Representation in finance and professional services remains low, particularly at senior levels. Research indicates that only about 2% of employees in finance, insurance and professional technical services are Black, compared with the 4.4% of the UK working-age population who identify as Black. Representation falls further in leadership roles, with under 1% of senior positions held by Black professionals in some firms. Bain+1

This highlights the so-called “broken rung” effect: ethnic minority professionals may enter these sectors, but they often hit barriers to progression beyond early careers.

Creative and Cultural Sectors
Data from recent industry reports shows that ethnic minority representation in creative and cultural roles is often below national workforce averages. For example, in the UK cultural sector, people from ethnic minority backgrounds make up about 15.9% of employees but only around 9.8% of managers and directors. Creative UK

These gaps are especially visible in leadership and decision-making roles, even where entry-level diversity has grown.

Occupational distribution matters too

Representation is not just about sectors but also about job types. Across occupations, ethnic minority groups are often more concentrated in entry and support roles than in senior professional and management roles. For example, in 2021 data, 39.8% of workers from the Indian ethnic group were in professional jobs, compared with 21.9% of workers from the combined Pakistani and Bangladeshi group. ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk

These patterns show that while ethnic minority talent is present across the workforce, structural and systemic barriers still affect progression into higher-paid and leadership roles.

What this means for jobseekers

If you are a candidate from an ethnic minority background, understanding where representation is stronger can help guide your job search. Growth sectors like public services and tech may offer more entry points and clearer progression paths, while sectors with slower change may require more targeted applications and research into inclusive employers.

Look beyond a job title or salary. Research employer diversity reporting, leadership representation and recruitment practices before applying so you can assess which organisations are likely to value and support long-term careers for diverse talent.

What this means for employers

For employers serious about diversifying their workforce, sector averages are only the starting point. Even where representation is improving, leadership levels and progression pathways often lag. Employers in slower sectors can learn from public sector transparency and the skills-driven approaches seen in technology hiring.

Setting clear targets, measuring outcomes and listening to candidate experience data is essential. Publishing workforce diversity data and tracking representation at each stage of recruitment and promotion helps move beyond good intentions to sustained change.

Representation is not static, and sectors evolve at different paces. What matters most is sustained attention, practical action and honest evaluation of where improvement is needed most.