Study title

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

The aims of the project were to conduct a systematic research on the labour market position of the minority ethnic groups in the United Kingdom; to compare the inter- and intra-generational experience of the minority ethnic groups in the British labour market both amongst themselves and between these groups and the white British population; to assess the extent and the nature of 'ethnic penalty', particularly as experienced by 'second generation' minority ethnic citizens; and to provide evidence for the debate between human capital and social capital theories on ethnic disadvantages and for policy-making.

The project utilised data from the General Household Survey (GHS) and Labour Force Survey (LFS) series (held at the UK Data Archive under GNs 33090 and 33246 respectively). Key variables were standardised over time, using the GHS from 1972 and the LFS from 1983, and variables covering ethnicity, generation status, age, marital status, educational qualifications, employment status, class, earnings from the labour market, number of children in family unit, and hours of work were used. A set of 18 derived variables were produced, which are included in this dataset. For further details of methodology, see documentation.

For the second edition (June 2008), an updated version of the data file was deposited. The new file includes GHS 2005 data and two new variables covering source (LFS/GHS), and age respondent left full-time education. The documentation is unchanged.


Main Topics:

The 18 derived variables in the dataset cover year, age, gender, marital status, economic status, social class, education, ethnic groups, periods of unemployment, children, working time, pay, length of time resident in the United Kingdom, data source (LFS/GHS) and age left full-time education.