The TUC said the difference between the employment rates of the two groups had closed by 2.2% over the past decade, although the rate for white people was still 15% higher at 75% compared with 60% for black and ethnic minorities (BME).

The fastest area of growth for black and ethnic minorities was part-time work, said the report, which was launched at the TUC's black workers conference in Eastbourne.

Despite the growth in employment, almost half of black and ethnic minority children were living in poverty - nearly twice as many as white children.

The TUC called for employers to do more to encourage black and ethnic minority workers to get senior jobs.

General secretary Brendan Barber said: "The steady reduction in BME poverty rates proves that full employment is a vital cure for poverty. But with nearly half of BME children still live in poverty, these welcome trends cannot be taken for granted.

"As more BME men move into part-time work and receive the same low pay as women, the stark reality of in-work poverty is growing. Tackling the deep-rooted problem of poor part-time pay must be at the heart of the Government's anti-poverty strategy."