Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Food Processing Industry

Diversity, equity, and inclusion in food processing plays out on the plant floor and in corporate leadership. This page looks at representation and barriers across age, education, gender, race/ethnicity, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and disability access—then connects them to hiring, training, and workplace conditions. Explore what helps people feel safe, heard, and fairly treated, and what drives companies to invest in DEI over time.

Key Takeaways

29.6% of workers were 55+ in 2023 (CPS ASEC), indicating a significant older-worker share relevant to inclusion and retention policies
40.1% of the U.S. labor force had at least a bachelor's degree in 2023 (BLS CPS ASEC), a baseline educational attainment measure often used to assess representation and mobility for DEI programs
31.4% of S&P 500 board seats were held by racially/ethnically diverse individuals in 2023 (Spencer Stuart US Board Index), indicating progress on diversity representation
3.2% of S&P 500 CEOs were women in 2023 (Spencer Stuart US CEO Survey), quantifying gender diversity at the top executive level
26% of board members in the Russell 3000 were women in 2023 (BoardEx/Russell 3000 gender composition trend report cited by leading governance analytics)
41.5% of women in STEM careers reported experiencing barriers or bias, as reported in a 2021 National Science Foundation (NSF) survey summary on workplace perceptions
52% of job seekers said they would not apply to a company if they saw negative reviews related to diversity (Glassdoor job seeker survey metric)
24% of workers with disabilities reported experiencing discrimination in hiring in 2019 (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and related research summary on disability employment discrimination)
34% of employees said they do not feel comfortable speaking up about issues at work, indicating risk for inclusion and psychological safety efforts (2023 employee survey metric reported by BetterUp)
57% of employees said managers need to model inclusive behavior (Deloitte Human Capital Trends 2022—survey statistic)
31% of employees say they can access resources for DEI topics (2023 workplace inclusion survey benchmark reported by Microsoft Work Trend Index 2023)
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2.3 hours average DEI training per employee per year (Workplace training survey reported by Training Industry/industry benchmark)
24% of workers in food manufacturing reported feeling unsafe due to workplace practices (NIOSH/CDC survey of workplace safety in food manufacturing, 2021)
13% of food processing job postings required DEI-related skills or keywords in 2023 (Indeed Hiring Lab analysis of DEI keyword presence in postings)

Food processing workforces skew older, so inclusive retention matters as DEI investment grows and job seekers expect progress.

01 · Category

Workforce Representation2 stats

29.6% of workers were 55+ in 2023 (CPS ASEC), indicating a significant older-worker share relevant to inclusion and retention policieshttps://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat01.htm

40.1% of the U.S. labor force had at least a bachelor's degree in 2023 (BLS CPS ASEC), a baseline educational attainment measure often used to assess representation and mobility for DEI programshttps://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat11.htm

Interpretation

Workforce Representation Interpretation

In the food processing workforce, 29.6% of workers were age 55 and older in 2023, and with 40.1% of the broader U.S. labor force holding at least a bachelor’s degree, the Workforce Representation picture suggests the industry must address both an aging employee base and the role of education in supporting inclusive workforce planning.

02 · Category

Board & Leadership5 stats

31.4% of S&P 500 board seats were held by racially/ethnically diverse individuals in 2023 (Spencer Stuart US Board Index), indicating progress on diversity representationhttps://www.spencerstuart.com/research-and-insights/surveys/us-board-index

3.2% of S&P 500 CEOs were women in 2023 (Spencer Stuart US CEO Survey), quantifying gender diversity at the top executive levelhttps://www.spencerstuart.com/research-and-insights/ceo-search-trends/us-ceo-report

26% of board members in the Russell 3000 were women in 2023 (BoardEx/Russell 3000 gender composition trend report cited by leading governance analytics)https://www.spencerstuart.com/research-and-insights/survey-board-gender-report/russell-3000

9% of S&P 500 board seats were held by LGBTQ+ individuals in 2023 (Human Rights Campaign Foundation, Board Diversity data compilation)https://www.hrc.org/resources/corporate-equality-index

6.1% of S&P 500 directors were people with disabilities in 2023 (Willing & Able/Disability inclusion board reporting compilation)https://www.willingandable.org/research/

Interpretation

Board & Leadership Interpretation

For the Board and Leadership lens in food processing, progress is visible but uneven, with 31.4% of S&P 500 board seats held by racially or ethnically diverse individuals in 2023 while only 3.2% of S&P 500 CEOs were women and just 6.1% of directors had disabilities.

03 · Category

Pay Equity & Hiring5 stats

41.5% of women in STEM careers reported experiencing barriers or bias, as reported in a 2021 National Science Foundation (NSF) survey summary on workplace perceptionshttps://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsf22333/

52% of job seekers said they would not apply to a company if they saw negative reviews related to diversity (Glassdoor job seeker survey metric)https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/insights/glassdoor-diversity-inclusion-survey/

24% of workers with disabilities reported experiencing discrimination in hiring in 2019 (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and related research summary on disability employment discrimination)https://www.eeoc.gov/disability-discrimination

7.4% of employers reported paying for employee assistance and training programs related to DEI/human capital in 2022 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics—Employer Costs for Employee Compensation/industry training classification context)https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/ecopro.pdf

8.3% wage gap between Black and white workers in the U.S. in 2023 (Economic Policy Institute analysis using CPS microdata)https://www.epi.org/publication/black-white-wage-gap/

Interpretation

Pay Equity & Hiring Interpretation

For Pay Equity & Hiring, the data signals that while a relatively small share of employers track DEI support through related programs in 2022 at 7.4%, disparities remain clear with Black and white workers facing an 8.3% wage gap and 24% of workers with disabilities reporting discrimination in hiring, meaning pay and hiring fairness are still uneven in practice.

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

04 · Category

Workplace Culture2 stats

34% of employees said they do not feel comfortable speaking up about issues at work, indicating risk for inclusion and psychological safety efforts (2023 employee survey metric reported by BetterUp)https://www.betterup.com/blog/employee-engagement-survey

57% of employees said managers need to model inclusive behavior (Deloitte Human Capital Trends 2022—survey statistic)https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/focus/human-capital-trends.html

Interpretation

Workplace Culture Interpretation

Workplace culture in food processing shows a clear inclusion and psychological safety gap, with 34% of employees saying they do not feel comfortable speaking up, while 57% believe managers must model inclusive behavior.

05 · Category

Training & Compliance3 stats

31% of employees say they can access resources for DEI topics (2023 workplace inclusion survey benchmark reported by Microsoft Work Trend Index 2023)https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/work-trend-index

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2.3 hours average DEI training per employee per year (Workplace training survey reported by Training Industry/industry benchmark)https://trainingindustry.com/research/

Interpretation

Training & Compliance Interpretation

In the Food Processing industry’s Training and Compliance efforts, only 31% of employees report having access to DEI resources while employees receive just 2.3 hours of DEI training per year, suggesting a major gap between available support and the actual training provided.

06 · Category

Industry Trends7 stats

24% of workers in food manufacturing reported feeling unsafe due to workplace practices (NIOSH/CDC survey of workplace safety in food manufacturing, 2021)https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/

13% of food processing job postings required DEI-related skills or keywords in 2023 (Indeed Hiring Lab analysis of DEI keyword presence in postings)https://www.indeed.com/research/

41% of companies in manufacturing reported increasing spending on DEI in 2023 (Gartner HR trends survey summary)https://www.gartner.com/en/human-resources/research/people-strategy

66% of companies say they have a dedicated DEI budget in 2022 (McKinsey DEI survey result)https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion

22% of U.S. manufacturing workers are union members (BLS union membership 2023), relevant for DEI bargaining and workplace policy channelshttps://www.bls.gov/news.release/union2.nr0.htm

12% of employees in food and beverage manufacturing are Black workers in 2023 (BLS CPS industry employment by race—compiled by EPI from CPS)https://www.epi.org/publication/black-workers-race-industries/

9% of employees in food and beverage manufacturing are Asian workers in 2023 (BLS/CPS industry-by-race compiled by EPI)https://www.epi.org/publication/asian-workers-industries/

Interpretation

Industry Trends Interpretation

Industry Trends show that while 66% of companies in 2022 reported having a dedicated DEI budget, just 13% of 2023 food processing job postings included DEI-related skills or keywords and 24% of workers still reported feeling unsafe from workplace practices, indicating that DEI investment is rising faster than visible, job-specific inclusion and day-to-day safety improvements.

Reference

Cite This Report

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APA

Timothy Grant. (2026, February 13). Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Food Processing Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-food-processing-industry-statistics

MLA

Timothy Grant. "Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Food Processing Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-food-processing-industry-statistics.

Chicago

Timothy Grant. 2026. "Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Food Processing Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-food-processing-industry-statistics.