Ethnic minority females are succeeding at school but face poor prospects when they move to employment, according to research from the Equal Opportunities Commission.

The report reveals that females from Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Caribbean are more ambitious than white girls about education and their future careers. However they face lower pay, poorer prospects and a restricted range of job opportunities when they go to work.

Two-thirds of employers in regions with above-average numbers of black and Asian women seeking work do not have a workforce that reflects the local population, and a third do not employ black or Asian women at all.

Many young women in the groups studied complained of sexism, racism and negative stereotypes when they started work.