{UAH} Law should stop job applicants giving their names to reverse toll of unemployed British Muslims, MPs say
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Employers should be barred by law from asking people's names when they first apply for jobs to reverse a huge toll of unemployed British Muslims, MPs say.
A landmark Commons report praised 'name-blind' applications today as it found the UK's 2.7 million Muslims are twice as likely to be jobless as the rest of the population.
The rate was 12.8% compared to the 5.4% UK average - and 65% of out-of-work Muslims are women.
The "varied and complex" reasons included discrimination and Islamophobia, stereotyping and "pressure from traditional families", said the Women and Equalities Select Committee.
Ex-PM David Cameron condemned "disgraceful" discrimination against non-white names last year as he rolled out a 'name-blind' process in top civil service jobs.
He said: "People with white-sounding names are nearly twice as likely to get call backs for jobs than people with ethnic-sounding names.
"One young black girl had to change her name to Elizabeth before she got any calls to interviews.
"That, in 21st century Britain, is disgraceful."
Today the committee went further, saying: "The Government should roll out name-blind recruitment to all employers, legislating if necessary."
It said name-blind recruitment was only one step among many, adding: "To be fully effective this should form part of a sustained initiative which profiles those employers which have successfully implemented the policy in order to incentivise others to follow suit.
"The Government should monitor uptake and legislate if progress is not made within this parliament."
Committee chairman Maria Miller said as the report was released: "We heard evidence that stereotypical views of Muslim women can act as a barrier to work.
"The data suggests that in communities these patterns are shifting across generations, but we remain concerned that this shift is happening too slowly and that not all Muslim women are being treated equally."
Muslim women are 71% more likely than white Christian women to be unemployed, even when they have the same educational level and language skills.
Muslims who do have jobs are also paid less than white workers from different faiths, according to the report.
MPs today urge Jobcentre Plus staff to target Muslims with programmes aimed at getting them into work and helping slash inequality.
The committee gave the Government until the end of the year to produce a blueprint outlining its plan.
The report also calls on ministers to help Islamic women take bigger roles in their communities.
"The impact of the very real inequality, discrimination and Islamophobia that Muslim women experience is exacerbated by the pressures that some women feel from parts of their communities to fulfil a more traditional role," it says.
"The Equality Act applies to everyone and all women, regardless of faith, should be free to make their own choices about all aspects of their lives, including education, employment and dress, and subsequently be empowered to overcome the disadvantages they may face."
Linking integration with counter-extremism has "exacerbated inequalities experienced by Muslims", the committee warns.
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