Inequalities in Access to Professional Occupations

This paper finds that applicants from lower socio-economic and ethnic minority groups are well represented among the applicant pool, but disproportionately do not receive job offers, even when considering similar applicants. Black-white inequalities arise at the online screening and testing stage, while Asian-white and socio-economic background inequalities occur at both the online and face to face stages of recruitment. Inequalities have increased over time as competition for places has increased. While much of the gap can be explained by prior attainment, there are still large socio-economic gaps in offer rates within university groups. Women are typically underrepresented in the applicant pool across entry routes but are more likely to achieve a job offer than otherwise similar men, among those who do apply. Crucially, ethnic minority graduates from a low socio-economic background are 45% less likely to be offered entry-level professional roles compared to more advantaged White applicants.