While women now make up just over a quarter of the U.S. automotive manufacturing workforce, the industry's latest diversity data reveals both significant progress and the long road still ahead for true equity and inclusion.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, women comprised 26.4% of the total U.S. automotive manufacturing workforce, marking a 1.2% increase from 2022
- At General Motors, female employees represented 28.7% of the global workforce in 2023, up from 27.1% in 2021
- Ford Motor Company's U.S. salaried workforce included 31.2% women in 2023, compared to 29.8% in 2020
- In 2023, Black or African American employees constituted 11.8% of the U.S. automotive industry workforce, up 0.9% from 2022
- General Motors reported 14.2% Black employees in U.S. workforce 2023
- Ford Motor Company had 12.7% African American representation in U.S. salaried positions 2023
- At executive levels in U.S. auto firms, women held 18.5% of positions in 2023, per Deloitte study
- General Motors board of directors was 36.4% women in 2023
- Ford's executive leadership team included 27.8% women as of 2023
- Gender pay gap in automotive narrowed to 18.2% in 2023 from 20.1% in 2020
- GM women earned 92.3% of male median pay in U.S. 2023
- Ford achieved pay equity within 1% for same roles gender-wise 2023
- 65% of auto firms offer mandatory DEI training in 2023
- GM employee engagement score on inclusion rose to 87.2% in 2023
- Ford's ERGs grew to 12 groups with 25,000 members 2023
The automotive industry is gradually making modest progress on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Equity and Pay
1Gender pay gap in automotive narrowed to 18.2% in 2023 from 20.1% in 2020
Verified2GM women earned 92.3% of male median pay in U.S. 2023
Verified3Ford achieved pay equity within 1% for same roles gender-wise 2023
Verified4Toyota NA uncontrolled gender pay gap 85.7% in 2023
Directional5Stellantis U.S. pay parity 97.8% for women vs men 2023
Single source6Honda pay equity audit showed 98.2% for gender 2023
Verified7Nissan global adjusted pay gap 14.5% gender 2023
Verified8BMW Group mean gender pay gap 17.9% worldwide 2023
Verified9Volkswagen pay equity 96.4% U.S. gender 2023
Directional10Rivian median pay ratio women/men 94.1% 2023
Single source11Tesla uncontrolled gender pay gap 81.2% U.S. 2023
Verified12Cummins pay equity 99.1% global gender audit 2023
Verified13Magna pay gap 16.8% gender NA 2023
Verified14Lear U.S. women pay 93.5% of men 2023
Directional15Aptiv adjusted pay gap 2.3% gender 2023
Single source16BorgWarner pay parity 98.7% 2023 audit
Verified17Black employees pay gap 12.4% vs white in auto 2023
Verified18Promotion rates for women 78.6% of men in auto industry 2023
Verified19Hispanic retention rate 89.2% vs 92.1% overall in auto 2023
Directional20Supplier spend with minority-owned businesses reached 15.3% in 2023 U.S. auto
Single source21GM diverse supplier spend $2.1B or 8.4% of total 2023
Verified22Ford awarded $1.9B to minority suppliers 10.2% total 2023
VerifiedEquity and Pay Interpretation
While the automotive industry is cautiously accelerating towards fairness, this dashboard of progress reveals we're still on a long road trip with a few persistent rattles and a map that needs constant updating.
Gender Diversity
1In 2023, women comprised 26.4% of the total U.S. automotive manufacturing workforce, marking a 1.2% increase from 2022
Verified2At General Motors, female employees represented 28.7% of the global workforce in 2023, up from 27.1% in 2021
Verified3Ford Motor Company's U.S. salaried workforce included 31.2% women in 2023, compared to 29.8% in 2020
Verified4Toyota North America reported 24.5% female representation in its U.S. workforce as of fiscal year 2023
Directional5In the automotive supplier sector, women made up 22.1% of employees at Magna International in 2023
Single source6Stellantis U.S. operations had 25.8% women in its workforce in 2023, a rise from 23.9% pre-pandemic
Verified7Honda Motor Co. saw women at 23.4% of its North American associates in 2023
Verified8Nissan Americas workforce gender diversity reached 27.3% women in 2023
Verified9BMW Group U.S. reported 29.1% female employees in manufacturing roles in 2023
Directional10Volkswagen of America had 26.7% women in its total workforce in 2023
Single source11Rivian Automotive's workforce included 28.9% women as of Q4 2023
Verified12Lucid Motors reported 25.6% female representation in 2023 hiring classes
Verified13Tesla Inc. had 22.3% women in its global automotive workforce in 2023
Verified14Cummins Inc., a key auto supplier, achieved 27.8% women in U.S. operations in 2023
Directional15Lear Corporation's global workforce was 24.2% female in 2023
Single source16Adient plc reported 23.9% women employees worldwide in 2023
Verified17BorgWarner Inc. had 26.1% female workforce in North America 2023
Verified18Delphi Technologies (BorgWarner) U.S. sites showed 25.4% women in 2023
Verified19Visteon Corporation achieved 28.2% women in engineering roles 2023
Directional20Aptiv PLC's workforce was 27.5% female globally in 2023
Single source21Continental AG U.S. operations reported 24.8% women in 2023
Verified22ZF Friedrichshafen AG North America had 25.9% female employees 2023
Verified23Denso International America Inc. workforce 23.7% women 2023
Verified24Faurecia (Forvia) U.S. reported 26.3% women in 2023
Directional25Tenneco Inc. achieved 24.6% female representation 2023
Single source26Allison Transmission Holdings had 25.1% women U.S. workforce 2023
Verified27American Axle & Manufacturing workforce 23.2% women 2023
Verified28Dana Incorporated reported 26.4% female employees 2023
Verified29Meritor Inc. U.S. sites 24.9% women 2023
Directional30Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc. 25.7% women globally 2023
Single sourceGender Diversity Interpretation
The industry's march toward gender parity is real but still moving at the pace of a cautious highway merge, not a green-light launch.
Inclusion Programs
165% of auto firms offer mandatory DEI training in 2023
Verified2GM employee engagement score on inclusion rose to 87.2% in 2023
Verified3Ford's ERGs grew to 12 groups with 25,000 members 2023
Verified4Toyota NA launched 15 inclusion initiatives reaching 90% workforce 2023
Directional5Stellantis inclusion index 84.6% employee satisfaction 2023
Single source6Honda's mentorship program matched 1,200 diverse employees 2023
Verified7Nissan belonging survey 82.9% positive 2023
Verified8BMW NA DEI training completion 95.3% 2023
Verified9Volkswagen U.S. ERG participation 18,500 members 2023
Directional10Rivian inclusion score 89.1% in employee survey 2023
Single source11Tesla piloted 10 inclusion workshops for 5,000 staff 2023
Verified12Cummins 92.4% completion DEI unconscious bias training 2023
Verified13Magna's inclusion programs reached 88% workforce 2023
Verified14Lear ERGs supported 15,000 employees 2023
Directional15Aptiv belonging index 86.7% 2023 survey
Single sourceInclusion Programs Interpretation
It appears the car industry is finally realizing that the most important thing to assemble, beyond any vehicle, is a workplace where everyone feels they actually belong.
Leadership Diversity
1At executive levels in U.S. auto firms, women held 18.5% of positions in 2023, per Deloitte study
Verified2General Motors board of directors was 36.4% women in 2023
Verified3Ford's executive leadership team included 27.8% women as of 2023
Verified4Toyota senior management in NA 22.1% female 2023
Directional5Stellantis executive committee 25.3% women 2023
Single source6Honda NA leadership 20.9% female executives 2023
Verified7Nissan C-suite 23.7% women 2023 globally
Verified8BMW NA executive board 28.4% women 2023
Verified9Volkswagen Group leadership 24.6% female VP level 2023
Directional10Rivian VP and above 26.2% women 2023
Single source11Tesla senior leadership 19.8% women 2023
Verified12Cummins executive team 29.1% women 2023
Verified13Magna senior management 21.5% female 2023
Verified14Lear Corporation C-suite 25.9% women 2023
Directional15Aptiv leadership 27.3% women executives 2023
Single source16BorgWarner VP level 23.4% women 2023
Verified17Black executives in auto industry 5.2% of total in 2023, McKinsey report
Verified18GM executive leadership 9.1% Black/African American 2023
Verified19Ford VP level 7.8% Hispanic/Latino 2023
Directional20Women executives at supplier firms averaged 16.7% in 2023
Single source21Auto industry board seats held by women reached 24.3% in 2023
Verified22Hispanic executives 6.4% in top auto OEMs 2023
Verified23Asian American VPs 4.9% across major auto firms 2023
VerifiedLeadership Diversity Interpretation
While the automotive industry is finally getting some women in the driver's seat at the executive level, the rearview mirror shows a stubbornly empty carpool lane when it comes to racial diversity.
Racial and Ethnic Diversity
1In 2023, Black or African American employees constituted 11.8% of the U.S. automotive industry workforce, up 0.9% from 2022
Verified2General Motors reported 14.2% Black employees in U.S. workforce 2023
Verified3Ford Motor Company had 12.7% African American representation in U.S. salaried positions 2023
Verified4Toyota Motor North America Black employees at 10.5% of total U.S. workforce 2023
Directional5Stellantis U.S. workforce included 13.4% Black employees in 2023
Single source6Honda of America Mfg. reported 9.8% African American associates 2023
Verified7Nissan North America Black representation 11.2% in 2023 U.S. workforce
Verified8BMW Manufacturing Co. U.S. had 12.1% Black employees 2023
Verified9Volkswagen Chattanooga workforce 10.9% African American 2023
Directional10Rivian Automotive reported 8.7% Black employees in 2023
Single source11Tesla Gigafactory Texas Black workforce 7.5% in 2023
Verified12Cummins Inc. U.S. Black employees 13.6% of workforce 2023
Verified13Magna International U.S. operations 11.9% Black 2023
Verified14Lear Corporation Black representation 12.4% U.S. 2023
Directional15Aptiv PLC U.S. Black employees 14.1% in 2023
Single source16BorgWarner Inc. 11.3% African American U.S. workforce 2023
Verified17Continental North America Black employees 10.2% 2023
Verified18ZF Group U.S. 12.8% Black representation 2023
Verified19Denso North America 9.6% African American 2023
Directional20Faurecia North America Black workforce 13.7% 2023
Single source21Tenneco U.S. 11.5% Black employees 2023
Verified22Allison Transmission 12.3% African American 2023 U.S.
Verified23American Axle Black employees 10.4% U.S. 2023
Verified24Dana Inc. 13.2% Black workforce U.S. 2023
Directional25Hispanic or Latino employees made up 18.7% of U.S. automotive manufacturing in 2023
Single source26General Motors Hispanic U.S. workforce 16.3% in 2023
Verified27Ford Motor Co. 19.2% Hispanic employees U.S. 2023
Verified28Asian employees at Toyota NA 6.8% of U.S. workforce 2023
VerifiedRacial and Ethnic Diversity Interpretation
The automotive industry’s DEI dashboard shows a slowly accelerating climb toward better representation, but it’s clear that while some manufacturers are cruising in the fast lane, others are still idling at the starting line.
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