Mohammed Din

Diversity

Businesses owned by people with a minority ethnic background are two to three times more likely to close due to the combination of COVID and the lack of a sufficient government response. Why is this the case? According to government statistics published in 2018, only 5.4% of small to medium sized enterprises are owned by black and minority ethnic leadership. The proportion of BAME ownership, and BAME employment, is higher in sectors like health and social care, education, food and hospitality and accommodation, which are more vulnerable to lockdown-related pressures. BAME employment rates in some of these sectors are also higher.