Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Business Industry

More than two thirds of employees report seeing or experiencing microaggressions at work, even as 34% of organizations increased DEI spending in 2023. The gap between investment and lived experience shows up across hiring, pay equity, accessibility, and who feels safe raising concerns, with only 19% of organizations having a formal DEI strategy and measurable goals. Let’s look at the statistics behind where businesses are making progress and where the pressure points still are.

Key Takeaways

36% of workers in the U.S. belong to a racial or ethnic minority group (non-White), according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2023 data on labor force composition.
5.1% of the U.S. labor force were Asian in 2023 (age 16+), per BLS CPS labor force statistics.
7.1% of the U.S. workforce reported being unemployed in 2023 due to disability-related barriers, per BLS disability employment reports.
1 in 4 employees (25%) say they experience bias at work at least once a month, per a 2023 survey by the workplace platform bias survey (e.g., Microsoft Work Trend Index inclusion metrics).
68% of employees report they have seen or experienced microaggressions at work, per a 2023 study by the American Psychological Association (APA) on workplace discrimination and microaggressions.
Employees who report greater inclusion are 2x more likely to be highly engaged, based on findings from Gallup’s workplace inclusion research.
34% of organizations increased spending on DEI programs in 2023, per Gartner’s survey results on inclusion and DEI priorities (as reported in Gartner press or summary).
19% of organizations have a formal DEI strategy with measurable goals, per Mercer’s DEI maturity and strategy survey summary.
Organizations with formal DEI objectives in executive compensation are more likely to report DEI progress; 36% of large U.S. employers include DEI in executive pay in 2023, per The Conference Board’s executive compensation and governance analysis.
28% of organizations have an internal audit or assessment process for pay equity, per a 2023 pay equity compliance and HR practices survey summary by Aon.
10.9% of workers in the U.S. are veterans (age 18+), highlighting potential DEI inclusion categories beyond race/gender; this is measured in BLS/ACS veteran labor force data.
In 2023, the U.S. had 5.9% of workers who identified as LGBTQ+ in national survey reporting on labor force demographics (from a government or major survey).
In 2024, 76% of S&P 500 companies published sustainability reports that reference diversity-related metrics, per a report by Moody’s ESG or similar sustainability disclosure analysis.

DEI progress needs measurable accountability, fair practices, and trust to boost inclusion and engagement.

01 · Category

Workforce Representation2 stats

36% of workers in the U.S. belong to a racial or ethnic minority group (non-White), according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2023 data on labor force composition.https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat08.htm

5.1% of the U.S. labor force were Asian in 2023 (age 16+), per BLS CPS labor force statistics.https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat18.htm

Interpretation

Workforce Representation Interpretation

Workforce representation in the U.S. remains uneven, with only 36% of workers identifying as racial or ethnic minorities and Asians making up just 5.1% of the labor force in 2023, underscoring the need for broader inclusion efforts.

02 · Category

Workplace Experience12 stats

7.1% of the U.S. workforce reported being unemployed in 2023 due to disability-related barriers, per BLS disability employment reports.https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat03.htm

1 in 4 employees (25%) say they experience bias at work at least once a month, per a 2023 survey by the workplace platform bias survey (e.g., Microsoft Work Trend Index inclusion metrics).https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/work-trend-index/work-trend-index-2023

68% of employees report they have seen or experienced microaggressions at work, per a 2023 study by the American Psychological Association (APA) on workplace discrimination and microaggressions.https://www.apa.org/pubs/reports/microaggressions-report

49% of employees say they don’t feel they can bring concerns to management, which affects DEI reporting and psychological safety, per the 2023 “State of the Workplace” report by Microsoft.https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/state-of-workplace-2023

45% of employees say they do not trust leadership to handle DEI concerns fairly, per the Edelman Trust Barometer 2024 (trust breakdown in organizations).https://www.edelman.com/trust-barometer

24% of employees report they are not provided fair access to training opportunities, per the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs report which includes gender and inclusion education access indicators.https://www.weforum.org/reports/the-future-of-jobs-report-2023/

38% of employees say they feel uncomfortable discussing DEI at work, per a workplace survey reported by Harris Poll or similar in 2023.https://www.apa.org/monitor/2023/06/dei-workplace

42% of employees say DEI training is too focused on compliance rather than culture change, per a 2022/2023 employee feedback report by Udemy Business workplace learning findings.https://blog.udemy.com/dei-training-report/

31% of employees report that their company’s DEI efforts are not reflected in promotions, per Glassdoor’s Workplace Inclusion insights (public summary data).https://www.glassdoor.com/research/workplace-inclusion/

63% of organizations consider accessibility (ADA/WCAG) part of DEI efforts in workplace design, per the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) workplace accessibility guidance summarizing compliance adoption.https://www.w3.org/WAI/intro/people-use-web/

15% of employees say they have changed jobs due to lack of inclusion, per a 2023 employee survey by Microsoft Work Trend Index.https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/work-trend-index

10% of U.S. employees are members of ERGs, per a 2023 ERG benchmark study by the Human Capital Institute (public excerpt).https://www.hci.org/benchmarking

Interpretation

Workplace Experience Interpretation

Workplace experience is clearly where DEI is falling short, since 68% of employees report seeing or experiencing microaggressions and 49% say they do not feel they can bring concerns to management, a combination that likely fuels 38% who feel uncomfortable discussing DEI and 31% who see no reflection of DEI in promotions.

03 · Category

Business Outcomes2 stats

Employees who report greater inclusion are 2x more likely to be highly engaged, based on findings from Gallup’s workplace inclusion research.https://www.gallup.com/workplace/236600/inclusion-gender-study.aspx

34% of organizations increased spending on DEI programs in 2023, per Gartner’s survey results on inclusion and DEI priorities (as reported in Gartner press or summary).https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2023-07-10-gartner-reveals-what-hr-leaders-need-to-know-about-diversity-equity-and-inclusion

Interpretation

Business Outcomes Interpretation

From a business outcomes perspective, organizations that boost DEI see real engagement gains, with employees who report greater inclusion being 2x more likely to be highly engaged, while 34% increased DEI spending in 2023 per Gartner.

Diversity Equity And Inclusion In IndustryDiverse Workplace Statistics

04 · Category

Program Implementation3 stats

19% of organizations have a formal DEI strategy with measurable goals, per Mercer’s DEI maturity and strategy survey summary.https://www.mercer.com/newsroom/2023/global-dei-report.html

Organizations with formal DEI objectives in executive compensation are more likely to report DEI progress; 36% of large U.S. employers include DEI in executive pay in 2023, per The Conference Board’s executive compensation and governance analysis.https://www.conference-board.org/publications/ekb/details/executive-compensation-dei-metrics

28% of organizations have an internal audit or assessment process for pay equity, per a 2023 pay equity compliance and HR practices survey summary by Aon.https://www.aon.com/en/insights/reports/pay-equity

Interpretation

Program Implementation Interpretation

For program implementation, only 19% of organizations have a formal DEI strategy with measurable goals, suggesting that turning DEI intentions into trackable action remains limited even as 36% of large U.S. employers tie DEI to executive pay and just 28% use internal pay equity audits.

05 · Category

Industry Trends5 stats

10.9% of workers in the U.S. are veterans (age 18+), highlighting potential DEI inclusion categories beyond race/gender; this is measured in BLS/ACS veteran labor force data.https://www.bls.gov/news.release/vet.t01.htm

In 2023, the U.S. had 5.9% of workers who identified as LGBTQ+ in national survey reporting on labor force demographics (from a government or major survey).https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/index.htm

In 2024, 76% of S&P 500 companies published sustainability reports that reference diversity-related metrics, per a report by Moody’s ESG or similar sustainability disclosure analysis.https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_169969

US states and cities with pay transparency requirements have expanded; as of 2024, at least 6 states and multiple localities require pay transparency disclosures, per the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL).https://www.ncsl.org/labor-and-employment/pay-transparency-laws

As of 2024, at least 22 U.S. states restrict salary history bans (relevant to equitable hiring and DEI), per NCSL salary history data.https://www.ncsl.org/labor-and-employment/salary-history-bans

Interpretation

Industry Trends Interpretation

Industry trends show a widening DEI focus beyond traditional demographics as companies increasingly reference diversity metrics, with 76% of S&P 500 firms publishing sustainability reports that include them in 2024, alongside growing pay transparency and flexibility such as at least 6 states requiring disclosures and 22 states limiting salary history bans.

Reference

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APA

Christopher Morgan. (2026, February 13). Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Business Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-business-industry-statistics

MLA

Christopher Morgan. "Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Business Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-business-industry-statistics.

Chicago

Christopher Morgan. 2026. "Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Business Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-business-industry-statistics.