Racism in the workplace: EU study shows worsening situation for Black people

The newly published EU study on experiences of racism among Black people in the EU has already attracted a great deal of attention. It shows, for example, that racist incidents are reported particularly frequently in Germany. But what insights can be gained about the world of work?

Since the study was already conducted in 2016 with similar topics and methods, the new edition also serves as a status indicator of how racial discrimination has changed in recent years. In the area of work, there has been no improvement; in fact, the situation for Black people has deteriorated both in their search for work and in their everyday working lives. One in three respondents reported discriminatory and racist experiences when looking for a job and during application processes – with this occurring particularly frequently in Austria, Finland, and (once again) Germany. Certain patterns can also be found in terms of the type and duration of work: While the overall employment rate for Black people is 71%, which is only slightly below the population average of 73%, they are overrepresented in so-called “elementary occupations” (32% compared to 8% of the population average). In addition, around 30% of respondents work in temporary employment and 35% in a job for which they are overqualified. In view of the discriminatory and racist structures highlighted in the study, the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights calls for the consistent implementation and application of anti-discrimination laws. In addition, in order to improve the situation of Black people in the labor market, socio-economic integration should be comprehensively supported and foreign education and training qualifications should be more easily recognized.

We were also interested in the following topics:

• European Forum Alpbach: A few months ago, the European Forum Alpbach took place. As a partner organization of the forum, we reported on it and raffled off tickets. Now, the first projects are showing long-term effects: Of the so-called Alpbach IDEAS, which can be accessed on the EFA's YouTube channel, four are currently in concrete development.

• Everyday office life: There is no denying that working life does not always consist of exciting tasks, but also involves unpleasant activities. That is why t3n has compiled some tips on how to get these kinds of tasks done – based on a survey of which to-dos are particularly unpopular.

• Collective bargaining: The summer rail strikes are barely over, and the next ones are already looming: The GDL train drivers' union is preparing for tough collective bargaining negotiations, reports RBB. In addition, new collective agreements are currently being negotiated in the public sector. An agreement was reached in the US, where the United Auto Workers secured a new contract with up to 25% more pay.

• Cost of living: Which cities and regions in Germany are particularly expensive and which are particularly cheap? This was the subject of a study conducted by the IW Cologne for the first time, which shows the cost of living for all German districts.

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