How much equality of employment opportunity is there in Scotland's Councils?

One of the clear measures of equality is to be found in the profile, by protected characteristic, of those in employment.

Being in employment can bring multiple, potentially positive, impacts on the lived experiences of many people who share particular protected characteristics.  It can reduce dependence on the less than generous state welfare system and the increasing stigma attached to what little support is provided to people who are jobless for whatever reason.  It provides the opportunities for those previously excluded from key areas of society to be able to influence change and the future shape of societal structures from within.  Being in work instead of being marginalised, excluded and discriminated against can also help start to slowly foster good relations between those who erect barriers and discriminate, and those who are discriminated against.

Scotland’s specific equality duties, adopted in May 2012, recognised this and set a clear goal for public bodies in Scotland.  Amongst other things, the duties required that public bodies gather data on their workforce by protected characteristic and use it to help them better perform their general equality duty to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations.  April 30^th 2013 was the first date by which public bodies were required to publish a report on their efforts in meeting this particular part of the specific equality duties.  Research reports providing data on that baseline are available here.

In July 2015, new research captured data from Scotland's Councils on what had changed in the 2 years since the baseline data was published.  

 In 2013, Councils in Scotland employed 4,826 Catholic people, representing 1.9% of the entire Council workforce.  In 2015, the figure had increased - there are now 9,661 Catholic people employed, representing 3.86% of the Council workforce across Scotland.  Government data resources tell us there are 841,000 Catholic people in Scotland, representing 15.9% of the population.  

The best, and worst, performing Councils when it comes to the employment, or non-employment, of Catholic people can be seen in this table on the right.  One can only guess as to the extent that sectarianism plays in the reality these data sets reveal.  But then Scotland does not like talking about, or even accepting that sectarianism is an issue beyond the football terraces on a Saturday afternoon.

You can read the full research report from which this table is extracted here.

When it comes to the record of Councils in employing disabled people, the good news is equally thin on the ground.  In 2013, the total number of disabled people employed in Councils was 4,819, representing 1.9% of the total number of people employed across all Councils.  By 2015, the number had increased to 4,901, representing 1.96% of the entire workforce.  Government data resources tell us that almost 20% of Scotland's population has a disability.

The best, the worst and the downright ugly Councils when it comes to the employment of disabled people can be seen in the table on the left.

You can read the full research from which this table is extracted here.

There are many in Scotland who believe that we are a 'tolerant' country, and that racism is an English disease.  As with Catholics and sectarianism, there is a lot of denial in Scotland on racism when it comes to employment.  In 2013, Scotland's Councils reported 2,447 Black Minority Ethnic [BME] people employed, making up 0.96% of the entire workforce.  In 2015, this had increased to 2,632 BME people, and making up 1.05% of the entire workforce. Government data reveals that Scotland has over 200,000 people identifying as BME, 4% of the population.  

The great, the good and the awful Councils, when it comes to employment of BME people can be seen in the table on the right.

The full research report, from which this table is an extract, can be found here.

Since the Scottish legislation on same-sex marriage, there are many who believe that Scotland has become some sort of Nirvana for people who identify as lesbian, gay or bi-sexual [LGB].  As with people from the protected characteristics covered already in this blog, the reality as defined by the employment data published by Councils themselves would suggest this is naught but a pipe-dream worthy of Brigadoon 2.  In 2013, Scotland's Councils reported employing 402 people who identified as LGB, representing 0.16% of the entire workforce.  In 2015, Councils reported this had increased, to 906 people identifying as LGB and making up 0.36% of the total Council workforce.  The context for these figures is found on the Stonewalll web pages where they back government estimates that 5-7% of the population is LGB.

The poor, the bad and the awful performing Council when it comes to employment equality for LGB people can be seen in the table on the left.

The full report on LGB employment in Councils, from which this table is an extract, can be found here.

On the basis that these figures suggest there is a serious problem with institutional discrimination in the employment practices and cultures of Scotland's Councils, the reports were sent to the Chief Executive of COSLA, Rory Mair, with the offer of a meeting to consider how performance on equality could be improved and so better serve the interests of people from the protected characteristics covered by the research.  Mr Mair's response was :

"I entirely disagree with your proposition that Scotland’s local authorities’ performance is poor with regard to employment practice"