Johannesburg - Educational achievement is a more important
indicator of why people are employed rather than race, the SA Institute of Race
Relations (SAIRR) said on Wednesday.
"The proportion of people by race in professional
positions closely mirrors the proportion of people by race with professional qualifications,"
said research manager Lucy Holborn in a statement.
The data challenged the view that South African employers
were resisting racial transformation in the workplace.
According to the data, there were about 41% of black people
with degrees and there were 36% of blacks in professional positions.
There were 45% of white people with degrees or higher
qualifications and there were 42% of them in professional positions.
"While a degree of racial prejudice exists in all
societies, the data suggests that educational achievement will determine the
pace of future employment equity progress in South Africa," she said.
Sairr sourced information from Statistics SA and the Commission
for Employment Equity.
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