Religion & The Labour Market

(Source: Annual Population Survey, January 2004 to December 2004, Office for National Statistics)

We are currently researching more up-to-date information. But the most current information is below.

• Unemployment rates for Muslims are higher than those for people from any other religion, for both men and women.
  
  
• In 2004, Muslims had the highest male unemployment rate in Great Britain, at 13%. This was about three times the rate for Christian men (4%). Unemployment rates for men in the other religious groups were between 3-8%.
  
  
• The unemployment rate for Muslim women at 18% was about four times the rate for Christian and Jewish women (4% in each case). Unemployment rates for women in the other religious groups were between 6% and 9%.
  
  
• Unemployment rates were highest among those aged under 25 years for all religious groups. Muslims aged 16 to 24 years had the highest unemployment rates. They were over twice as likely as Christians of the same age to be unemployed - 28% compared with 11%.
  
  
• Although unemployment rates for older Muslims were lower, there was a greater difference between their unemployment rates and those for people from other religious backgrounds. Muslims aged 25 and over were more than three times as likely as Christians of the same age to be unemployed - 11% and 3% respectively.
  
  
• Men and women of working age from the Muslim faith are also more likely than other groups in Great Britain to be economically inactive, that is, not available for work and/or not actively seeking work. Reasons include being a student, being disabled or looking after the family and home.
  
  
• Among working age men, Muslims had the highest overall levels of economic inactivity in 2004 at 31%, compared with 16% of Christians.
  
  
• Within each religious group women were more likely than men to be economically inactive. The main reason was that they were looking after the family and home. Muslim women were more likely than other women to be economically inactive. About seven in ten (69%) Muslim women of working age were economically inactive, compared with no more than four in ten women of working age in each of the other groups. Christian women were least likely to be economically inactive (25%).