White people and women are currently overrepresented in Oldham Council staff, figures obtained via a Freedom of Information request suggest.

The data also shows Asian people and Muslims are underrepresented in the council’s staff body when compared to 2011 census data, which is the latest available comparison.

Data released by Oldham Council shows, of the 62 per cent of staff who chose to provide their ethnicity, around 85 per cent said they were white.

However, according to data from the 2011 census, 77.5 per cent of Oldhamers are white.

Furthermore, while census data shows nearly 20 per cent of Oldhamers are Asian, only around 10 cent of council staff who gave their ethnicity identified as such.

It also showed 0.74 per cent of staff identified as Kashmiri, however, no 2011 census data was available to compare, as this category was not included.

Excluding ‘prefer not to say’, 50 per cent of council staff identified as Christian and just under nine per cent as Muslim, with 26 per cent having no religion.

In 2011, around 60 per cent of Oldhamers identified as Christian, and just over 17 per cent as Muslim, with 16 per cent stating they had no religion.

It is possible that Oldham’s religious affiliations have changed since the 2011 census – in 2001 over 72 per cent of Oldhamers said they were Christian, 11 per cent Muslim, and just nine per cent said they had no religion.

Additionally, data showed that over 65 per cent of council staff identified as female, with around 35 per cent identifying as male and just one person choosing another identity.

Oldham-wide, the figures are 51 per cent and 49 per cent, respectively.

The most female-dominated department in the council was the two-person ICT Strategy division, with both employees identifying as female.

This was followed by Children’s Social Care, with more than 85 per cent of the 401-person department identifying as female.

The most male department was Environmental Management, with more than 86 per cent of staff male.

This is followed by democratically elected councillors, the second most male department, with just under 35 per cent female – similar to the level of MPs in Parliament and consistent with councils nationwide, where women are similarly underrepresented.

An Oldham Council spokesperson said: “We are committed to championing equality and diversity; within our own workforce and in the services we deliver to communities across Oldham.

"That’s why we recently launched a new equalities strategy, ‘Building a Fairer Oldham’, which aims to tackle inequality and discrimination head-on.

“We’re proud of the fact that our workforce is made up of people of different genders, sexual orientations, races, physical abilities, and religions.

"That said, we know more can always be done to improve our diversity and we are keen to take every opportunity to do this; including through alternative paths to employment such as apprenticeships and work placements.

“We will continue to take real action to deliver on our shared ambition of a more equitable Oldham; an Oldham where barriers are broken down to enable everyone to work together comfortably, healthily and happily."