While the automotive industry is shifting gears toward greater equity, with women now making up over a quarter of its workforce and diversity initiatives accelerating across the board, the journey toward truly inclusive representation and pay is still stuck in low gear.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, women comprised 25.3% of the total U.S. automotive industry workforce, an increase of 2.1 percentage points from 2021
- Ford Motor Company reported that 28% of its U.S. salaried workforce were women in 2022, up from 26% in 2020
- General Motors had 24.7% women in its global workforce as of 2023, with 29% in leadership roles
- In 2023, Black or African American employees comprised 12.4% of the U.S. auto industry workforce, per BLS data
- Hispanics/Latinos made up 18.7% of U.S. automotive manufacturing workers in 2023
- Asian employees represent 6.3% of Ford's U.S. workforce in 2022
- Women executives: 12.4% of auto industry C-suite in 2023 per Deloitte
- Ford: 29% women in senior leadership 2022
- GM board: 36% women in 2023
- Gender pay gap in auto industry: 18.2% less for women in 2023 BLS
- Ford U.S. salaried gender pay gap: 1.2% in 2022
- GM median pay equity: 99.5% women vs men 2023
- Auto supplier spend with minority-owned: 8.2% industry average 2023
- Ford: 12.1% spend with diverse suppliers 2022
- GM: 11.5% minority supplier spend 2023
The auto industry is making slow but measurable progress on diversity and inclusion.
Gender Diversity
- In 2023, women comprised 25.3% of the total U.S. automotive industry workforce, an increase of 2.1 percentage points from 2021
- Ford Motor Company reported that 28% of its U.S. salaried workforce were women in 2022, up from 26% in 2020
- General Motors had 24.7% women in its global workforce as of 2023, with 29% in leadership roles
- Toyota North America achieved 22.5% female representation in its U.S. workforce in 2022, focusing on STEM hires
- The Society of Women Engineers noted that only 15% of automotive engineers are women in 2023
- Stellantis reported 23.8% women in its North American workforce in 2023, with initiatives to reach 30% by 2030
- In manufacturing roles, women make up 18.4% of U.S. auto assembly line workers per BLS 2023 data
- Honda's U.S. workforce gender diversity stood at 21.2% women in 2022
- Nissan North America had 26.1% women employees in 2023
- Women represent 27% of Tesla's U.S. workforce as of Q4 2023 filings
- Volkswagen Group of America reported 24% female workforce in 2022
- BMW U.S. had 22.9% women in 2023
- Mercedes-Benz USA workforce was 25.6% women in 2022
- Rivian reported 28.4% women in its workforce in 2023 IPO updates
- Lucid Motors had 24.2% female employees in 2023
- U.S. auto dealer workforce is 19.7% women per NADA 2023 survey
- Women in auto R&D roles: 14.8% globally per 2023 WEF report
- Subaru of America: 23.1% women workforce 2022
- Mazda North America: 21.8% female employees 2023
- Kia America: 26.3% women in 2023
- Hyundai Motor America: 25.1% women workforce 2022
- Porsche Cars North America: 27.4% women 2023
- Audi USA: 24.5% female representation 2022
- Jaguar Land Rover NA: 23.7% women 2023
- Volvo Cars USA: 28.2% women workforce 2023
Gender Diversity Interpretation
While the auto industry is finally putting women in the driver's seat for hiring, the road to parity remains a long one, with women still largely stuck in the passenger seat at just over a quarter of the workforce.
Inclusion Programs
- 85% of auto companies have DEI training programs in 2023 per SHRM survey
- Ford employee resource groups: 12 active with 25% participation 2022
- GM retention rate for diverse employees: 92% vs 89% overall 2023
- Toyota inclusion score: 78/100 in 2022 Glassdoor
- Stellantis DEI training hours: 4.2 avg per employee 2023
- Tesla ERG membership: 18% workforce 2023
- Employee engagement diverse vs overall: +7% in auto per Deloitte 2023
- Honda bias training reach: 95% employees 2022
- Nissan inclusion index: 82% positive 2023
- Industry mentorship programs: 65% companies offer to underrepresented 2023
- Ford retention women: 94.3% 2022
- GM URM engagement: 88% 2023
- Toyota affinity groups: 10 groups 2022
- 72% auto workers report inclusive culture 2023 Gallup
- Stellantis listening sessions: 15k participants 2023
- BMW inclusion training: 100% leadership 2023
- Mercedes ERGs: 8 groups 2022
- Rivian belonging score: 85% 2023
Inclusion Programs Interpretation
While companies are increasingly checking the box on training and groups—with some even seeing a retention bump—the real story is that a strong majority of auto workers now feel their culture is inclusive, proving the industry’s engine is finally turning over on meaningful progress.
Leadership Representation
- Women executives: 12.4% of auto industry C-suite in 2023 per Deloitte
- Ford: 29% women in senior leadership 2022
- GM board: 36% women in 2023
- Toyota: 15% female executives NA 2022
- Stellantis: 18.2% women in management 2023
- Tesla: 22% women in leadership 2023
- Honda: 14.7% female managers 2022
- Nissan: 19.3% women executives 2023
- Black executives: 5.8% industry-wide 2023 McKinsey
- Ford board: 25% people of color 2022
- GM executives: 20.1% URM 2023
- Hispanic VPs at Toyota NA: 4.2% 2022
- Stellantis leadership: 12.6% women of color 2023
- Tesla board diversity: 30% women, 10% URM 2023
- Industry VP level: 8.3% Black 2023
- Nissan senior leaders: 16.4% women 2023
- BMW NA executives: 21.5% women 2023
- Mercedes board: 28% diverse gender 2022
- Rivian leadership: 25% women 2023
- Auto CEO women: 4.1% globally 2023
Leadership Representation Interpretation
The auto industry’s dashboard shows progress on diversity, but the data clearly indicates we’re still in first gear and a long way from the finish line of true equity.
Pay Equity
- Gender pay gap in auto industry: 18.2% less for women in 2023 BLS
- Ford U.S. salaried gender pay gap: 1.2% in 2022
- GM median pay equity: 99.5% women vs men 2023
- Toyota NA pay gap: 4.3% gender 2022
- Stellantis equal pay audit: 98.7% equity 2023
- Tesla gender pay parity: 2.1% gap 2023
- Black-white pay gap in auto: 14.7% 2023
- Ford racial pay equity: 99.1% 2022
- GM URM pay gap: 1.8% 2023
- Hispanic pay disparity industry: 12.4% 2023 BLS
- Honda pay equity score: 98.2% gender 2022
- Nissan pay gap women: 3.5% 2023
- Industry promotion rates: women 85% of men rate 2023 Deloitte
- Ford promotion equity: 97% parity 2022
- URM promotion gap: 11.2% industry 2023
- Tesla pay equity Black employees: 2.4% gap 2023
- BMW gender pay: 99.3% equity 2023
- Mercedes pay parity: 98.9% 2022
- Rivian equal pay: 1.7% gender gap 2023
Pay Equity Interpretation
The auto industry's road to pay equity is a bizarre journey where some companies are cruising in a luxury sedan at 99% parity while the industry as a whole is still sputtering along with an 18% gender gap and stubborn racial disparities in the slow lane.
Racial Ethnic Diversity
- In 2023, Black or African American employees comprised 12.4% of the U.S. auto industry workforce, per BLS data
- Hispanics/Latinos made up 18.7% of U.S. automotive manufacturing workers in 2023
- Asian employees represent 6.3% of Ford's U.S. workforce in 2022
- GM's U.S. workforce: 14.2% Black, 15.8% Hispanic in 2023
- Toyota NA: 9.1% Black, 12.4% Hispanic employees 2022
- Underrepresented minorities (URM) are 22.5% of Stellantis NA workforce 2023
- Tesla U.S.: 8.7% Black employees in 2023
- Honda U.S.: 7.2% Black, 11.3% Hispanic 2022
- Nissan NA: 10.5% Black workforce 2023
- Volkswagen USA: 13.1% Hispanic employees 2022
- BMW NA: 6.8% Black, 14.2% Hispanic 2023
- Mercedes USA: 11.9% URM in 2022
- Auto dealers: 9.3% Black employees per NADA 2023
- Rivian: 7.4% Black workforce 2023
- Lucid: 12.1% Hispanic employees 2023
- Native American employees: 1.2% industry average 2023 BLS
- Subaru NA: 8.6% Black 2022
- Mazda NA: 5.9% Asian employees 2023
- Kia: 13.7% Hispanic 2023
- Hyundai: 10.2% Black U.S. workforce 2022
- Porsche NA: 6.5% URM 2023
- Audi USA: 9.8% Black 2022
Racial Ethnic Diversity Interpretation
While the auto industry's diversity dashboard is finally plugged in, the data reveals a landscape of cautious, company-by-company progress rather than a full-throttle acceleration toward a workforce that truly mirrors America.
Supplier Diversity
- Auto supplier spend with minority-owned: 8.2% industry average 2023
- Ford: 12.1% spend with diverse suppliers 2022
- GM: 11.5% minority supplier spend 2023
- Toyota NA: 7.8% diverse suppliers 2022
- Stellantis: 9.4% minority-owned spend 2023
- Tesla: 5.6% diverse supplier procurement 2023
- Honda: 8.9% minority suppliers 2022
- Nissan: 10.2% diverse spend 2023
- Women-owned suppliers: 3.1% industry total 2023
- Ford women-owned: 4.7% 2022
- GM Black-owned suppliers: 4.2% 2023
- Hispanic-owned: 2.8% Toyota 2022
- Stellantis veteran-owned: 1.5% 2023
- Industry goal: 15% diverse spend by 2025 per MBE
- BMW: 7.3% minority suppliers 2023
- Mercedes: 9.1% diverse 2022
- Rivian diverse suppliers: 6.4% 2023
- Lucid: 8.2% minority spend 2023
Supplier Diversity Interpretation
While Ford and GM are driving ahead in the diversity race, the industry average of 8.2%—with a paltry 3.1% for women-owned businesses—reveals most automakers are still idling in the commitment lane despite a 2025 finish line of 15% fast approaching.
Sources & References
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