The University of Oxford’s Centre on Migration, Policy and Society (COMPAS) will lead a two-year research project investigating hiring discrimination against young people (16–24-year-olds) from marginalised groups in England.
In partnership with Youth Futures Foundation, the national What Works Centre for Youth Employment in England, the project will aim to identify the causes and consequence of hiring discrimination against young people from ethnic minority groups, as well as people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), care experience, mental ill health, and criminal records. The findings will inform recommendations for employers and policymakers aimed at promoting more inclusive recruitment practices.
The research comes at a critical time, with unemployment among 16–24-year-olds in the UK at its highest level in more than a decade. Figures published by the Office for National Statistics show that nearly one in eight young people are not in education, employment or training.
Nishi Mayor, Director of Employer Engagement & Partnerships at Youth Futures Foundation, said: “In England, one in eight young people are not in employment, education, or training. And young people from marginalised backgrounds face even greater barriers than their peers to securing and thriving in good work.
“We’re delighted to be working in partnership with COMPAS as part of our flagship What Works for Recruitment and Retention Programme, generating robust evidence that will support employers to transform outcomes for young people across the country, and build diverse, thriving talent pipelines for their own long-term sustainability.”
The project will also examine how an organisations’ commitment to diversity can reduce discrimination during recruitment, including the effectiveness of interventions, such as diversity statements.
Dr Sanne van Oosten, Project Lead and COMPAS Researcher, said: “Employers need to understand how their hiring practices may contribute to discrimination, especially at a time when recruitment processes are rapidly changing through the use of artificial intelligence. While some policies are well intentioned, they may produce unintended consequences that contribute to discrimination against marginalised groups. There is an urgent need to understand the mechanisms behind this and how it can be addressed.”
The project builds on and extends findings from EqualStrength, a Horizon Europe project funded by the European Union. Led by COMPAS in collaboration with ten European research institutions, EqualStrength is the largest study to date investigating cumulative and structural forms of discrimination against ethnic, religious, and racial minorities in Europe over the life course - from childcare to employment and housing.
