What are the future projections for diversity of the workforce in the United States?

Diversity and inclusion in the workplace are among the most important topics facing HR and recruiting professionals.

Knowing a wide range of statistics related to diversity and inclusion might help you and your team better understand the complex nature of the topics, as well as learn the importance of building a better internal workforce that will ultimately yield higher revenue and boost employee performance.

Important Diversity and Inclusion Workplace Statistics

• Groups formerly seen as “minorities” may reach majority status by 2044
• 48 percent of Generation Z are racial or ethnic minorities
• Diverse companies enjoy 2.3 times higher cash flow per employee
• Diverse management has been shown to increase revenue by 19 percent
• Gender-diverse companies are 15 percent more likely to beat industry median financial returns
• More than 3 out of 4 workers prefer diverse companies

Free Report: The State of DEI in Tech 2022

An in-depth analysis of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the technology industry.

General Population Statistics

2020 Census Data Shows People Who Identify As White, Non-Hispanic Is Shrinking

People who identify as white, non-Hispanic in the United States declined in numbers for the first time on record, falling below 58 percent of the country’s population in 2020. It decreased from 63.7 percent in 2010.

By 2044, Groups Formerly Seen as ‘Minorities’ Will Reach Majority Status

Historically underrepresented groups, combined, are projected to account for the majority of the U.S. population by 2044.

By 2065, the U.S. Population Will Not Have Any Single Ethnic or Racial Majorities

In the not-too-far future, as the majority white population declines and underrepresented demographic populations grow, there will eventually no longer bea single ethnic or racial majority in the United States, according to Pew Research Center projections.

48 Percent of Generation Z Are Racial or Ethnic Minorities

A Pew Research Center report from 2018 says that nearly half of Post-Millennials or Gen-Zers (people born between the mid-1990s and mid-2010s) are non-white.

Millennials are 16 Percent More Diverse Than Baby Boomers

Census data shows that 57 percent of Millennials are white. And there are more Millennials now than Baby Boomers.

Diverse Demographics Employment Statistics

The Veteran Unemployment Rate Increased in 2020

In 2020, unemployment rates among veterans increased for both men and women, which are now at 6.5 percent and 6.7 percent, respectively.

In 2020, the Unemployment Rate for Disabled People Rose to 7.9 Percent

Across all age groups, disabled people are less likely to be employed than people without disabilities.

The Unemployment Rate Is Higher Among Black and Hispanic or Latinx Populations Compared to National Average

In 2019, the overall national unemployment rate was 3.7 percent, and unemployment rates were higher than the national rate for people who are Black (6.1 percent) and Hispanic or Latinx (4.3 percent).

The Unemployment Rate for People With Less Than a High School Diploma Is 7.9 Percent

That’s seasonally adjusted and as of September 2021. Pre-pandemic, though, the unemployment rate for people with less than a high school diploma was between 5 and 6 percent. The populations of Black and Hispanic or Latinx people with less than a high school diploma experience higher unemployment rates.

In 2020, 21.8 Percent of Families Didn’t Have a Single Family Member Who Was Employed

That’s up from 19.2 percent of families the previous year. Additionally, that percentage goes up to 24.3 percent for Black families.

In 19.1 Percent of Heterosexual Married-Couple Families, Only the Husband Was Employed

That means nearly one in five heterosexual married-couple families are living on a single income brought in solely by the husband of the family. That’s compared to 7.6 percent of heterosexual married-couple families where only the wife was employed.

26.7 Percent of Heterosexual Married-Couple Families Live on a Single Income

A little over a quarter of this population lives on a single income, with one of the parents staying home with the children.

In 2020, the Unemployment Rate of Foreign-Born Workers Rose to 9.2 Percent

Much of that may be attributed to the pandemic. In 2019, the unemployment rate of foreign-born workers was 3.1 percent. For reference, 17 percent of the U.S. workforce is foreign born.

Women Are Expected to Make Up 47.2 Percent of the Workforce by 2024

Within a few short years, women could make up 47.2 percent of the workforce. But there’s a long way to go to make it a more equitable environment.

Women’s Wages Are 82 Percent of Those of Men’s

In 2019, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that full-time working women had median usual weekly earnings of 82 percent compared with full-time working men.

42 Percent of Women Have Faced Gender Discrimination at their Jobs

A 2017 Pew Research Survey revealed that 42 percent of women in the United States say they have faced workplace gender discrimination.

Men Are Twice as Likely to Be Hired, Regardless of the Hiring Manager’s Gender

A study found that hiring managers — regardless of gender — aretwice as likely to hire candidates who are men.

Just over 8 Percent of Fortune 500 CEOs Are Women

In 2021, the number of women who are chief executive officers of Fortune 500 companies was 41, which is the highest it’s ever been.

Women Are More Likely to Be Hired With Blind Applications

One study conducted by Harvard University and Princeton University researchers found that when men and women submitted blind applications or auditions for a job, a woman’s likelihood of getting the job increased by 25 to 46 percent. And under these conditions, women were more likely to be hired than men.

Women Obtain 4-year College Degrees More Than Men

More and more women are getting higher education degrees, making them more competitive candidates in the workforce compared to their counterparts who do not have a degree.

Senior-Level Women Are Twice as Likely as Senior-Level Men to Focus on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

In a 2021 report, McKinsey found that women in senior management were twice as likely as men in similar roles to spend “substantial time” on DEI work falling outside their normal job responsibilities, such as supporting employee resource groups.

Women of Color Account for 4 Percent of C-Suite Leaders

Additionally, the same report found that, between entry level and the C-suite, the representation of women of color drops off by more than 75 percent.

22 Percent of C-Suites in the Software Tech Industry Are Made Up of Women

That number drops to 14 percent when looking at women holding C-suite roles at tech hardware companies. (That’s why some companies are focused on increasing the amount of women in tech leadership positions.)

Only 4 Percent of C-Suites Are Made up of Women of Color

Of the 23 percent of women in the C-suite, just4 percent of those leaders are women of color. In nearly every category, women of color are the most underrepresented population in the workforce, compared to white women, men of color and white men.

For Every 100 Men Promoted to Manager, Only 86 Women Are Promoted

As a result, men significantly outnumber women in manager positions.

Women Ask for Pay Raises at the Same Rate as Men, But Receive Them Less Often

Women ask for pay raises just as often as men at similar positions. But they receive them 5 percent less often than men do.

Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Workplace Statistics

The Majority of the U.S. Workforce Is Made Up of White People (78 percent)

Black people make up around 13 percent of the workforce, Hispanic or Latinx people make up 18 percent of the workforce and Asian people make up about 6 percent of the workforce, as of 2019.

Black and Hispanic or Latinx People Experience Higher Underemployment Rates

There is racial disparity in the underemployment rate, which looks at people who work part time but would rather work full time if they could. The underemployment rate in the first half of 2019 was 3.3 percent for white people, 6.6 percent for Black people and 4.4 percent for Hispanic or Latinx people. 

There Are Less Than a Handful of Black CEOs of Fortune 500 Companies 

As of February 2021, four Fortune 500 companies have a chief executive officer who is Black.

Systemic Discrimination Occurs Against Candidates With ‘Distinctively Black Names’

Researchers found that job candidates who have “distinctively Black names” have a lower probability of hearing back from companies they applied to than job candidates who don’t.

Only a Fraction of Fortune 500 Companies Make Diversity and Inclusion Data Publicly Available

A little more than half of the Fortune 500 companies have published some sort of data on their racial and ethnic makeup in the past year. But only 22 companies released full breakdowns across racial and ethnic categories.

Diversity and Inclusion Business Impact Statistics

Diverse Companies Enjoy 2.3 Times Higher Cash Flow Per Employee

Research published in 2015 by Bersin by Deloitte found that, over a three-year period, companies with highly diverse teams noticed a significant increase in cash flow — to the tune of 2.3 times per employee.

Diverse Management Boosts Revenue by 19 Percent

A Boston Consulting Group study looked at companies with diverse management teams and found that, on average, they enjoyed a 19 percent increase in revenue compared to their less diverse counterparts. 

43 Percent of Companies With Diverse Boards Saw Higher Profits

Not only is it beneficial to have diverse employees and management, but companies with diverse boards alsonoticed significantly higher profits, according to a 2018 McKinsey study.

Companies With Highly Gender-Diverse Executive Teams Tend to Be More Profitable

Executive teams that are highly gender-diverse are found to be21 percent more likely to outperform on profitability.

Companies That Are Highly Gender-Diverse Notice Improved Value Creation

Gender-diverse companies that are in the top quartile for gender diversity on executive boards are 27 percent more likely to have superior value creation.

Companies With Gender Diversity Perform Better Financially

McKinsey found that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity are 15 percent more likely to have financial returns above their respective national industry medians.

Racially and Ethnically Diverse Companies Perform Better Financially

Companies in the top quartile for racial and ethnic diversity are 35 percent more likely to outperform their respective national industry medians’ financial returns.

Sales Revenue Increases 15-Fold Among Companies With High Racial Diversity 

One study in 2009 found companies reporting the highest levels of racial diversity saw 15 times the sales revenue compared to companies with the least racial diversity among their employees.

Diverse Companies Are More Likely to Capture New Markets

According to a 2013 report, diverse companies are70 percent more likely to capture new markets. 

Diverse Teams Are Better at Making Decisions

Compared to individual decision makers, diverse teamsmake better decisions 87 percent of the time.

Diverse Companies See Higher Innovation Revenues

Boston Consulting Group surveyed 1,700 companies and found that companies with above-average total diversity had 19 percent higher innovation revenues on average.

Inclusive Company Cultures Lead to Higher Work Engagement for Millennials

When companies foster a more inclusive work environment, 83 percent of Millennials are found to be actively engaged in their work.

Global GDP Could Increase 26 Percent by Equally Diversifying the Workforce

If the global workforce became equally gender-diverse by 2025, global GDP could increase by $28 trillion.

Companies in the United Kingdom With Gender-Diverse Senior Executive Teams See An Earnings Boost

For every 10 percent increase in gender diversity among senior executive teams in the United Kingdom, companies earn 3.5 percent more in earnings before interest and taxes. 

Gender-Diverse Companies Are 15 Percent More Likely to Notice Higher Financial Returns

When compared to other companies in the same industries, companies that are highly gender-diverse are much more likely to gain higher financial returns than their competitors.

Importance of Diversity Among Job Seekers and Employees Statistics

More Than 3 out of 4 Workers Prefer Diverse Companies 

According to a 2020 Glassdoor survey, 76 percent of job seekers and employees polled said a diverse workforce was an important factor for them when evaluating job opportunities and companies.

80 Percent of Workers Want Inclusive Companies 

According to a Deloitte survey, 80 percent of over 1,300 respondents said inclusion efforts were an important factor when choosing a company. 

78 percent of People Believe Diversity and Inclusion Offers a Competitive Advantage

Another Deloitte survey found that 39 percent of respondents believed diversity and inclusion offers a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Employees Keep Track of How Their Senior Managers Focus on Diversity and Inclusion

Some employees actively keep tabs on diversity and inclusion efforts within their companies. In fact, 13 percent of employees monitor how often senior managers discuss the topics during meetings. 

Nearly Half of Employees Believe Their Company Needs to Improve Diversity of Gender, Race and Ethnicity

Employees aren’t just looking at one facet of diversity. An Atlassian study of 1,500 employees found that nearly half of respondents said their companies could improve diversity of gender, race and ethnicity.

40 percent of Employees Believe Their Companies Should Increase Diversity in Terms of Sexual Orientation

In the same study as above,40 percent of respondents noted their company could improve its diversity of sexual orientation.

24 percent of Employees Have Experienced Discrimination at Work

Nearly one-fourth of employees in one survey that polled just over a thousand people shared they have experienced discrimination at their current job.

40 Percent of Employees Leave a Company After Experiencing Harassment, Bullying or Stereotyping

Another study found 40 percent of employees who have experienced harassment, bullying or stereotyping quit their jobs and seek alternative employment opportunities.

Since 2014, 32 Percent More Executives Care About Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity and inclusion are quickly on the rise as issues of increasing importance in the workplace. Since 2014, there’s been a32 percent increase in executives prioritizing diversity and inclusion at their companies. 

38 Percent of Executives Believe CEOs Are Primarily Responsible for Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives 

While diversity and inclusion seem to consistently be important topics to employees at each seniority level, there isn’t a consistent viewpoint on who is responsible for taking action on diversity and inclusion initiatives. Even though the majority of executives believe diversity and inclusion are important issues, 38 percent also believe CEOs are responsible for taking action. 

86 Percent of Women Seek Employers With Diversity and Inclusion Strategies

Not only that, but, according to PwC,74 percent of men also seek employers with diversity and inclusion strategies in place.

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