Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Auto Industry Statistics

A 2025 workplace reality check is clear when you compare who is building the supply chain versus who is steering the decisions. Across the U.S. auto workforce, women make up 27% of transportation and material moving roles and 37% of engineers, yet only 20% of women hold senior leader roles at Stellantis North America, alongside very low LGBTQ+ representation reported by major automotive employers where measured. The same gap shows up in hiring and advancement, where structured processes can shift promotion outcomes, even as unstructured interview bias indicators continue to sway 18% of hiring decisions.

Key Takeaways

27% of transportation and material moving occupations are held by women (U.S. labor force occupational distribution), based on BLS CPS occupational employment data.
37% of engineers in the U.S. workforce are women (Applied Science & Engineering—engineering occupations), based on NSF/National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) workforce data referenced in their diversity reports.
6.1% of U.S. manufacturing employees are persons with a disability, based on BLS data used in U.S. Labor Force statistics on disability status (relevant to manufacturing sectors including auto).
34% of GM’s U.S. employees are women as reported in GM’s Diversity & Inclusion reporting for 2023.
39% of Ford Motor Company’s U.S. workforce is from underrepresented groups as reported in Ford’s 2023 sustainability/diversity reporting.
20% of senior leaders at Stellantis North America are women, per Stellantis’ published corporate responsibility and people metrics.
1.6x higher odds of being promoted when managers are trained in inclusive leadership, based on a meta-analysis of diversity training interventions published in peer-reviewed literature.
45% of job seekers consider DEI commitments before applying, based on a global survey cited in industry talent research for employer branding.
3.7% increase in interview-to-offer conversion after implementing bias-reduction structured interview processes, from workforce analytics case studies published in reputable HR research.
52% of employees believe benefits should cover DEI-related needs (e.g., caregiving), based on employee sentiment surveys reported by major HR research firms.
15% higher likelihood of taking parental leave when companies offer paid leave, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics leave-taking evidence.
3.1% wage gap between Hispanic and White workers in the U.S. in recent Census earnings comparisons.
1,000+ new or proposed DEI-related disclosures/ESG reporting requirements have been introduced globally over the last several years, per a global regulatory tracking report.
Title VII covers employers with 15 or more employees in the U.S., establishing the compliance threshold that includes most automotive manufacturing firms.
In 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor reported that 1.1 million workers were involved in skilled trades apprenticeship programs, a pipeline relevant to recruiting for auto manufacturing jobs.

Auto DEI progress is measurable, but gender, disability, LGBTQ and pay gaps remain, making inclusive hiring essential.

01 · Category

Workforce Demographics4 stats

27% of transportation and material moving occupations are held by women (U.S. labor force occupational distribution), based on BLS CPS occupational employment data.

37% of engineers in the U.S. workforce are women (Applied Science & Engineering—engineering occupations), based on NSF/National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) workforce data referenced in their diversity reports.

6.1% of U.S. manufacturing employees are persons with a disability, based on BLS data used in U.S. Labor Force statistics on disability status (relevant to manufacturing sectors including auto).

Top-10 employers in the automotive sector reported 0.3% representation of LGBTQ+ employees in available public disclosures (where measured), per Out & Equal's 2023/2024 workplace equality benchmarking datasets for Fortune 500-style reporting.

Interpretation

Workforce Demographics Interpretation

In the auto industry’s workforce demographics, women make up 27% of transportation and material moving jobs and 37% of engineers, while only 6.1% of manufacturing employees are persons with a disability and a limited 0.3% of LGBTQ+ representation is visible in top automotive employers’ public disclosures, showing both moderate gender representation and much larger gaps for other underrepresented groups.

02 · Category

Leadership Representation3 stats

34% of GM’s U.S. employees are women as reported in GM’s Diversity & Inclusion reporting for 2023.

39% of Ford Motor Company’s U.S. workforce is from underrepresented groups as reported in Ford’s 2023 sustainability/diversity reporting.

20% of senior leaders at Stellantis North America are women, per Stellantis’ published corporate responsibility and people metrics.

Interpretation

Leadership Representation Interpretation

Leadership representation remains uneven across major automakers, with women making up just 20% of Stellantis North America senior leaders, while broader workforce diversity stands higher at 34% women at GM and 39% underrepresented groups at Ford, underscoring a clear gap between representation in the pipeline and at the top.

03 · Category

Hiring & Promotion7 stats

1.6x higher odds of being promoted when managers are trained in inclusive leadership, based on a meta-analysis of diversity training interventions published in peer-reviewed literature.

45% of job seekers consider DEI commitments before applying, based on a global survey cited in industry talent research for employer branding.

3.7% increase in interview-to-offer conversion after implementing bias-reduction structured interview processes, from workforce analytics case studies published in reputable HR research.

18% of hiring decisions are influenced by unstructured interview bias indicators, based on auditing studies of hiring practices in employment research.

25% reduction in promotion time for underrepresented groups when companies use standardized performance evaluation criteria, based on organizational behavior research.

12% lower adverse impact in resume-screening when using structured scoring rubrics, based on employment screening research on fairness.

20% higher retention for employees in inclusive cultures, based on large-scale survey research on inclusion and retention outcomes.

Interpretation

Hiring & Promotion Interpretation

For Hiring and Promotion, the data shows inclusive, structured hiring practices are delivering measurable gains, including a 3.7% lift in interview-to-offer conversions and up to a 25% faster promotion timeline for underrepresented groups when companies standardize evaluation criteria.

Diversity Equity And Inclusion In IndustryDiversity Equity And Inclusion In The Consumer Goods Industry Statistics

04 · Category

Pay, Benefits & Equity4 stats

52% of employees believe benefits should cover DEI-related needs (e.g., caregiving), based on employee sentiment surveys reported by major HR research firms.

15% higher likelihood of taking parental leave when companies offer paid leave, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics leave-taking evidence.

3.1% wage gap between Hispanic and White workers in the U.S. in recent Census earnings comparisons.

4.6% difference in median earnings between men and women in the U.S. manufacturing sector (indicator from earnings statistics).

Interpretation

Pay, Benefits & Equity Interpretation

In the auto industry’s Pay, Benefits & Equity picture, the data suggests that better support for DEI-related needs is linked to more equitable outcomes, as evidenced by 52% of employees wanting benefits to cover caregiving and a pay gap that still persists with a 3.1% Hispanic to White wage difference and a 4.6% median earnings gap between men and women in manufacturing.

05 · Category

Industry Impact & Compliance4 stats

1,000+ new or proposed DEI-related disclosures/ESG reporting requirements have been introduced globally over the last several years, per a global regulatory tracking report.

Title VII covers employers with 15 or more employees in the U.S., establishing the compliance threshold that includes most automotive manufacturing firms.

In 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor reported that 1.1 million workers were involved in skilled trades apprenticeship programs, a pipeline relevant to recruiting for auto manufacturing jobs.

The Pregnancy Discrimination Act amendments are enforced under Title VII, covering pregnancy-related discrimination in hiring and promotion for auto industry workplaces.

Interpretation

Industry Impact & Compliance Interpretation

With 1,000+ new or proposed DEI and ESG disclosure rules added globally in recent years alongside Title VII compliance thresholds and pregnancy discrimination protections that cover most auto manufacturers, industry hiring and workplace practices are being pulled into sharper, enforceable focus through steadily tightening regulation.

Reference

Cite This Report

This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.

APA

Sophie Moreland. (2026, February 13). Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Auto Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-auto-industry-statistics

MLA

Sophie Moreland. "Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Auto Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-auto-industry-statistics.

Chicago

Sophie Moreland. 2026. "Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Auto Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-auto-industry-statistics.