British Jews suffered a bigger drop in their employment rate than any religious group between 2008 from 2013 but still have the lowest rate of unemployment, according to a new report.

Employment rates among Jews fell by over seven per cent to 68.8 per cent in 2013, according to a new report, Is Britain Fairer? The state of equality and human rights 2015 published today by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

But only 3.2 per cent of Jews were unemployed - compared to an average unemployment rate of 11.6 for religious minorities.

While all religious groups experienced a decline in pay over the five-year period, Jews remained the best paid with at an average of £16.20 per hour - 51.5 per cent more than the national average.

The report looks at differences between education, work, health and other areas relating to ethnicity, religion and gender.

It referred to reports of rising incidences of antisemitism and Islamophobia. But it added, “There is very limited evidence that we can draw on that can tell us something about the frequency with which religious minorities experience discrimination and harassment.”

It recorded that Jewish and Christian victims of violent crime decreased - Jews by seven per cent – over the period but rose from other religious minorities.

EHRC Commissioner Laura Carstensten said , “This wide-ranging, evidence-based review demonstrates how, while the British people demand a fairer society where everybody has an equal opportunity to make the best of their lives, whatever their background, our achievements still lag behind our aspirations in some areas.

“While we have made important progress in many areas – and it is important to note and celebrate this - the gateways to opportunity that the Commission identified five years ago remain harder to pass through for some groups such as disabled people, those from poorer backgrounds and women over a certain age.”