Total and partial photoionization cross sections, branching ratios, and angular-distribution asymmetry parameters for inner subshells (nl,2) of the group-IIB elements zinc, cadmium, and mercury have been calculated in both the relativistic random-phase approximation and the relativistic random-phase approximation modified to include relaxation. Comparisons are made between the results of the two theoretical methods and with experiment where available. The present theoretical results for the 3d inner-shell photoionization of zinc are not in accord with experiment. We confirm previous work [S. L. Carter and H. P. Kelly, J. Phys. B 11, 2467 (1978)] which demonstrated that relaxation is an important effect in photoionization of the 4d subshell of atomic cadmium. It is also found that the inclusion of relaxation effects resolves a discrepancy between theory and experiment for the 4f inner-shell photoionization of atomic mercury. © 1994 The American Physical Society.