Equal Opportunities
Economic fairness means providing access to good quality employment opportunities for all Londoners and providing support for those whose options are constrained by their upbringing, circumstances or traits. London’s status as a global city brings benefits and opportunities for many, but the competition that comes with this can make access to and progress in the labour market more challenging, particularly for some disadvantaged Londoners.
Accessing Employment
Some groups find it harder to gain genuine access to work than others. For those in work, finding good quality jobs that provide sufficient hours or use their skills fully can be an issue.
- Unemployment levels in London are higher than national rates
- A decreasing proportion, now under three per cent, of all Londoners in employment work part-time but want a full-time job.
- Around one in three graduates work in roles that do not require a degree-level qualification.
- Women with dependent children who want to work, and lone parents in particular, have low employment rates compared to the rest of the UK.
Equal Life Chances
The educational outcomes, career paths and, ultimately, life chances of some groups are determined by their characteristics or background. Not all Londoners have opportunities to progress in work.
- London children generally do better in educational achievement than those with the same characteristics elsewhere.
- Children from disadvantaged backgrounds, such as those in low income families, are less likely to achieve good educational outcomes than those from more advantaged families.
- The proportion of the working age population with no or minimal qualifications has been decreasing steadily.
- The number of people completing an apprenticeship in London during 2018/19 was significantly lower than for other years, mirroring the reduction in all other regions of England.
- The inequalities in income and wealth in London are even more stark than the national picture.