The business case for working with ethnic minorities & other communities (continued)

Education, Business & Employment

The following are some facts from a variety of sources including government websites, the Mintel-Ethnic Lifestyles Report 1999, “BBC Black and Asian UK – the facts”, and REED relating to education and employment among BMEs.

• Most second and third generation BMEs are upwardly mobile with a high standard of education and disposable income. Computer literacy is particularly high amongst younger consumers, suggesting a high level of future e-commerce success.

• 12% of the UK’s university undergraduates are young people from black and other BMEs. Africans/Caribbean are highly qualified, but more likely in skilled work. BMEs have many essential skills needed in today’s job market, including IT, communications, management.

• Two thirds of Asian adults have a disposable income of £30k +. Annual expenditure of BMEs in Britain is estimated to be around £40 billion pounds (£24 billion in London).

• 85% of independent retailers/shops in UK are owned by Asians with total turnover in excess of £12.5 billion.

• Most of the 120,000 restaurants & food outlets in the UK are owned by BMEs generating £14 billion.

• BMEs own 62,000 or 19% of all small/ medium businesses. 8% of ethnic minority businesses operate in European Union (EU) or international markets.

• BMEs make up 6.4% of the total population of working age in the UK. BMEs will account for half the growth in population of working age over next 10 years.

• BMEs form 6% of public sector workers.