Released recently on the day that new Equality Act (Sexual Orientation)
regulations came into force, the study shows that financial services companies
are now starting to actively target gay undergraduates, establish gay
networking groups and tackle the sector's homophobic image head on.
The poll of 3,676 candidates for City jobs discovered that the proportion
applicants that anonymously identified themselves as gay or lesbian rose from
5.9 per cent of respondents to 8.2 per cent over 12 months, driven by diversity
schemes in the financial services industry and legislative changes.
Tara Ricks, Joslin Rowe Associates managing director, said: "Times have changed
and diversity is now at the centre of recruitment and human resources policy.
The City knows it must attract the best talent from all walks of life."
An estimated six per cent of the UK population is lesbian or gay, while the gay
and lesbian population of London is around ten per cent, the highest in Europe.
