ABSTRACT
Introduction This chapter constitutes the contemporary structural context for understanding the dynamics of managing diversity. It outlines the social and economic factors, which shape the labour market position and employment experiences of women, black and minority ethnic people, disabled people, lesbians and gay men, and older people. This sketch of macrolevel labour market trends and patterns demonstrates the existence of inequalities of outcome between and within social groups. The chapter is a presentation of data, with some commentary, although detailed analysis and theoretical explanations are reserved for subsequent chapters. Thus, the contents of this chapter represent a valuable resource for students to consult in order to contextualize discussions on the themes of equality and diversity.
