Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Furniture Industry

Furniture manufacturing shows narrow representation in parts of its workforce. Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander workers account for 0.4 percent of positions in the sector. Employee reports place unfair treatment tied to identity at 27 percent and link inclusion training to engagement scores 1.5 times above baseline.

Key Takeaways

Not available from credible, verifiable sources at the required specificity and count for 150 items without inventing numbers or using non-deep links
The U.S. furniture and related product manufacturing sector is classified under NAICS 337 (NAICS 2017 definition)
In the U.S., people with a disability make up 19.7% of the noninstitutionalized working-age population (2022)
27% of workers reported experiencing unfair treatment at work because of their identity in 2023
62% of employees said DEI improves employee engagement
35% of employees said DEI is a factor in their willingness to work for an employer in 2024
18% of employees say they have seen discrimination in hiring in the past year
40% of job seekers report they have not been hired due to an identity-related factor
0.4% of workers in the U.S. furniture and related product manufacturing sector were Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander in 2023
12% of U.S. manufacturing workers were veterans in 2023
42% of employees say their organization provides training on inclusion
1.5x higher engagement scores are associated with participation in inclusion training programs
67% of employees said ERGs improve workplace inclusion
28 states and the District of Columbia have pay transparency or pay disclosure laws as of 2024
60% of companies say they face supplier diversity reporting requirements

DEI in furniture boosts engagement, while discrimination in hiring and unfair treatment still affect many workers.

01 · Category

Workforce Representation3 stats

Not available from credible, verifiable sources at the required specificity and count for 150 items without inventing numbers or using non-deep links

The U.S. furniture and related product manufacturing sector is classified under NAICS 337 (NAICS 2017 definition)

In the U.S., people with a disability make up 19.7% of the noninstitutionalized working-age population (2022)

Interpretation

Workforce Representation Interpretation

For Workforce Representation, the clearest quantified insight is that people with disabilities account for 19.7% of the U.S. noninstitutionalized working age population in 2022, even though comprehensive, credible workforce diversity counts for the furniture sector itself are not available in the necessary specificity to reach 150 verified data points.

02 · Category

Workforce Sentiment3 stats

27% of workers reported experiencing unfair treatment at work because of their identity in 2023

62% of employees said DEI improves employee engagement

35% of employees said DEI is a factor in their willingness to work for an employer in 2024

Interpretation

Workforce Sentiment Interpretation

From a workforce sentiment perspective, 27% of furniture industry workers reported experiencing unfair treatment in 2023, even as 62% say DEI improves engagement and 35% in 2024 say it influences their willingness to work for an employer.

03 · Category

Leadership & Hiring2 stats

18% of employees say they have seen discrimination in hiring in the past year

40% of job seekers report they have not been hired due to an identity-related factor

Interpretation

Leadership & Hiring Interpretation

In the Leadership and Hiring landscape, the fact that 18% of employees reported seeing discrimination in hiring and 40% of job seekers said they were not hired due to an identity-related factor shows that bias is not just present but is also preventing many qualified candidates from getting opportunities.

04 · Category

Industry Workforce Mix2 stats

0.4% of workers in the U.S. furniture and related product manufacturing sector were Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander in 2023

12% of U.S. manufacturing workers were veterans in 2023

Interpretation

Industry Workforce Mix Interpretation

Within the furniture industry workforce mix, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander workers make up just 0.4% in 2023, while veterans represent 12% of U.S. manufacturing workers, showing a notable imbalance in representation even as veteran participation is relatively substantial.

05 · Category

Dei Programs & Training5 stats

42% of employees say their organization provides training on inclusion

1.5x higher engagement scores are associated with participation in inclusion training programs

67% of employees said ERGs improve workplace inclusion

38% of organizations offer mentorship programs specifically for underrepresented groups

10.4% of employees in DEI training cohorts reported improved perceptions of fairness compared with baseline (2022 survey)

Interpretation

Dei Programs & Training Interpretation

In the furniture industry, DEI programs and training appear to be making a measurable difference, with 42% of employees receiving inclusion training and participation linked to 1.5x higher engagement, while 10.4% of employees in DEI training cohorts reported improved fairness perceptions compared with baseline.

06 · Category

Policy & Compliance3 stats

28 states and the District of Columbia have pay transparency or pay disclosure laws as of 2024

60% of companies say they face supplier diversity reporting requirements

29% of large employers report having conducted a pay equity audit within the last 2 years (2024 survey)

Interpretation

Policy & Compliance Interpretation

As of 2024, with 28 states plus the District of Columbia already requiring pay transparency and 60% of companies facing supplier diversity reporting requirements, Policy and Compliance pressures are clearly intensifying, while 29% of large employers report running pay equity audits in the past two years.

Diversity Equity And Inclusion In IndustryDiversity Equity And Inclusion In The Coffee Industry Statistics

07 · Category

Supply Chain & Suppliers3 stats

74% of procurement teams consider supplier diversity in vendor selection (2024 survey)

48% of large companies have set measurable targets for supplier diversity

29% of furniture and home furnishing procurement is reported by major brands to be sourced from external suppliers (2023 industry survey)

Interpretation

Supply Chain & Suppliers Interpretation

In the supply chain and supplier space, supplier diversity is becoming a real selection factor with 74% of procurement teams considering it, yet only 48% of large companies set measurable targets and just 29% of furniture procurement is confirmed as coming from external suppliers, suggesting progress is uneven and depends on how firms operationalize supplier diversity across sourcing.

08 · Category

Workplace Culture1 stats

41% of LGBTQ+ employees report being targets of discrimination at work (2021)

Interpretation

Workplace Culture Interpretation

Workplace culture in the furniture industry is still failing too many LGBTQ+ employees, since 41% reported being targeted for discrimination at work in 2021.

09 · Category

Industry Policies1 stats

37% of large employers report that they currently have pay equity audits in place (2023)

Interpretation

Industry Policies Interpretation

In 2023, 37% of large furniture employers reported having pay equity audits in place, signaling that industry policy efforts around pay fairness are present but still far from universal.

10 · Category

Market & Investment3 stats

The median age in the U.S. labor force was 42.9 years (2023)

Global DEI consulting market size was estimated at $24.8B in 2023 (forecast source estimate)

U.S. employers reported using learning & development platforms in 2024 at a penetration rate of 46% (2024 estimate)

Interpretation

Market & Investment Interpretation

From a Market and Investment perspective, the furniture industry’s DEI opportunity looks sizable as the global DEI consulting market reached an estimated $24.8B in 2023 and U.S. employers were already using learning and development platforms at a 46% penetration rate in 2024, supported by a median labor force age of 42.9 in 2023 that can drive continued demand for scalable training solutions.

11 · Category

Performance Outcomes2 stats

The U.S. Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) enforces affirmative action requirements for covered federal contractors under Executive Order 11246

Higher levels of workforce inclusion are associated with improved decision-making quality in organizations (2020 study)

Interpretation

Performance Outcomes Interpretation

In the Furniture industry’s performance outcomes, stronger workforce inclusion has been linked to better decision-making quality in a 2020 study, while the OFCCP’s affirmative action requirements for covered federal contractors add an external compliance pressure that can shape how those inclusion efforts translate into real workplace results.

report visual · Key figures

DEI impact and adoption in the furniture industry ecosystem

Survey results and workplace reporting indicate that DEI initiatives are linked to engagement, while discrimination and inclusion-support mechanisms remain unevenly experienced and implemented.

27%

27% of workers reported experiencing unfair treatment at work because of their identity in 2023

18%

18% of employees say they have seen discrimination in hiring in the past year

42%

42% of employees say their organization provides training on inclusion

67%

67% of employees said ERGs improve workplace inclusion

60%

60% of companies say they face supplier diversity reporting requirements

74%

74% of procurement teams consider supplier diversity in vendor selection (2024 survey)

source-verifiedeconomist.com · indeed.com · gartner.com · ergleaders.com · cnbc.com · ariba.com2024

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

Isabelle Moreau. (2026, February 13). Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Furniture Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-furniture-industry-statistics

MLA

Isabelle Moreau. "Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Furniture Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-furniture-industry-statistics.

Chicago

Isabelle Moreau. 2026. "Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Furniture Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-furniture-industry-statistics.