1. INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE REPORT The ethnicity pay gap in the UK is not simply a matter of earnings. It is a structural indicator of how opportunity, progression and leadership are distributed across the labour market. It exposes deep-rooted patterns of occupational segregation, unequal access to senior roles, differential career progression and exclusion from influential professional networks. While awareness of these issues has increased and many organisations have made public commitments to equity, progress has been inconsistent and too often slow. This report, Bridging the Gap: Closing the Ethnicity Pay Gap in the UK, draws on the insights, evidence and practical experience shared at the 2025 Ethnicity Pay Gap Conference, hosted by the University of East London’s Office for Institutional Equity. Its purpose is to move the conversation from intention to impact. By focusing on leadership, data, organisational culture and accountability, the report provides a strategic framework for employers, policymakers and sector leaders seeking to deliver measurable and sustained change. Rather than treating the pay gap as a technical reporting issue, the report positions it as a test of organisational fairness, leadership integrity and long-term sustainability. CONTEXT: ETHNICITY PAY GAP IN THE UK The ethnicity pay gap has gained increased attention in recent years, driven by wider public debate about racial justice, economic inclusion and workplace equity. However, national datasets continue to provide only a partial picture of the scale and nature of the problem. For example, the Office for National Statistics dataset covering 2012–2022 is based on a relatively small sample of the working population and has been widely criticised for its limited granularity and lack of intersectional analysis. Aggregated national figures often conceal significant variation between ethnic groups, regions, industries and organisational levels. They also do little to explain the mechanisms that produce unequal outcomes. What is increasingly clear is that ethnicity pay gaps are rarely about unequal pay for the same job. They are primarily driven by unequal access to higher-value roles, leadership positions and progression pathways.
“The causes of ethnicity pay gap are systemic and structural. Complexity must not be an excuse for inaction” – Shauna Roper
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