Recommendation 12

The employment gap between White and BAME workers remains too high, despite the Government’s intent to reduce it. There is a risk that the gap will widen if, as some predict, automation affects some ethnic groups more significantly than others. Automation may also have a differential impact on men and women. Women are still underrepresented in STEM fields, which are likely to see rising demand for workers. Women are also more likely to work part-time, with part-time work more common in low paid jobs, which are more likely to be lost to automation. These are complex issues to which there are no straightforward solutions. The impact of changes on different demographic groups will be uneven, and when formulating policy in response to change, the Government will need to draw upon expertise from a diverse range of sources.