Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Infrastructure Industry

Women held 39% of US engineering jobs in 2022, but only 16% of cybersecurity professionals were women the following year. Teams without DEI training reported 30% more harassment incidents in a controlled study.

Key Takeaways

30.3% of the U.S. architecture and engineering workforce was women (2022)
39% of U.S. engineering jobs were held by women (2022)
16% of cybersecurity professionals in the U.S. were women (2023)
$5.4 billion estimated U.S. market for diversity & inclusion consulting services (2023)
$7.8 billion global diversity training market size in 2024
1.2x increase in federal spending on workforce development grants for underserved populations from FY2021 to FY2023
41 states and D.C. had at least one law requiring pay transparency or pay equity reporting by end of 2023 (state policy coverage)
66% of respondents said DEI is included in supplier qualification/scorecards in procurement policies (2022)
1.3x higher incident reporting of harassment cases in teams without DEI training (controlled analysis in 2021 study)
29% higher retention among employees who reported inclusive manager behaviors (meta-analysis)
4.0 percentage-point increase in team performance following diversity training in a workplace quasi-experiment (2019)
Asian students earned 15% of STEM degrees in 2021 (NSF)
37% of Gen Z workers said inclusive culture is a key factor when choosing an employer (2023 global survey)

DEI efforts in infrastructure and technology correlate with stronger performance and retention, yet women remain underrepresented.

01 · Category

Industry Representation3 stats

30.3% of the U.S. architecture and engineering workforce was women (2022)

39% of U.S. engineering jobs were held by women (2022)

16% of cybersecurity professionals in the U.S. were women (2023)

Interpretation

Industry Representation Interpretation

In industry representation, women still make up a minority across infrastructure-related fields, ranging from 16% of cybersecurity professionals in 2023 to 30.3% of the architecture and engineering workforce and 39% of engineering jobs in 2022, signaling uneven progress rather than parity.

02 · Category

Spending & Investment6 stats

$5.4 billion estimated U.S. market for diversity & inclusion consulting services (2023)

$7.8 billion global diversity training market size in 2024

1.2x increase in federal spending on workforce development grants for underserved populations from FY2021 to FY2023

38% of large infrastructure firms reported increasing DEI-related budgets in 2023 (survey)

$1.8 million average annual spend on supplier diversity by top U.S. federal contractors (2023)

73% of infrastructure leaders reported dedicating resources to DEI programs for contractors (2023 survey)

Interpretation

Spending & Investment Interpretation

Spending on diversity, equity, and inclusion is clearly rising in infrastructure, with 38% of large firms increasing DEI budgets in 2023 and 73% of leaders dedicating resources to DEI programs for contractors, alongside federal workforce development grants growing by 1.2x from FY2021 to FY2023.

03 · Category

Policy & Outcomes2 stats

41 states and D.C. had at least one law requiring pay transparency or pay equity reporting by end of 2023 (state policy coverage)

66% of respondents said DEI is included in supplier qualification/scorecards in procurement policies (2022)

Interpretation

Policy & Outcomes Interpretation

As a sign of growing Policy & Outcomes momentum, by the end of 2023 41 states and D.C. had enacted pay transparency or pay equity reporting laws, while in procurement 66% of respondents said DEI is built into supplier qualification and scorecards.

Diversity Equity And Inclusion In IndustryDiversity Equity And Inclusion In The Health Insurance Industry Statistics

04 · Category

Program Effectiveness8 stats

1.3x higher incident reporting of harassment cases in teams without DEI training (controlled analysis in 2021 study)

29% higher retention among employees who reported inclusive manager behaviors (meta-analysis)

4.0 percentage-point increase in team performance following diversity training in a workplace quasi-experiment (2019)

Teams with higher inclusion delivered 17% higher job performance on average (meta-analysis)

Inclusive teams improved task performance by 14% compared to non-inclusive teams (study)

Companies in the top quartile for ethnic and cultural diversity were 33% more likely to outperform on profitability (McKinsey 2020 meta-analysis)

28% lower likelihood of turnover for employees who perceived equitable treatment in workplaces (meta-analysis)

Inclusive culture accounted for 19% of the variance in employee engagement (study, 2018)

Interpretation

Program Effectiveness Interpretation

In the program effectiveness data, inclusive and diversity training consistently show measurable gains, including a 4.0 percentage point increase in team performance and a 29% higher retention tied to inclusive manager behaviors, while teams lacking DEI training see 1.3 times more harassment reporting.

05 · Category

Talent & Pipelines2 stats

Asian students earned 15% of STEM degrees in 2021 (NSF)

37% of Gen Z workers said inclusive culture is a key factor when choosing an employer (2023 global survey)

Interpretation

Talent & Pipelines Interpretation

With Asian students earning just 15% of STEM degrees in 2021, the infrastructure talent pipeline is starting with limited representation, and the fact that 37% of Gen Z workers prioritize an inclusive culture suggests that employers need to strengthen both recruitment and workplace inclusion to attract the next generation.

report visual · Key figures

DEI participation across infrastructure, workforce, and procurement

Survey and policy data show most infrastructure organizations are expanding DEI efforts, alongside higher representation in key roles and greater incorporation of DEI into procurement.

38%

38% of large infrastructure firms reported increasing DEI-related budgets in 2023 (survey)

73%

73% of infrastructure leaders reported dedicating resources to DEI programs for contractors (2023 survey)

66%

66% of respondents said DEI is included in supplier qualification/scorecards in procurement policies (2022)

39%

39% of U.S. engineering jobs were held by women (2022)

30.3%

30.3% of the U.S. architecture and engineering workforce was women (2022)

source-verifiedwww2.deloitte.com · mckinsey.com · supplychainbrain.com · nsf.gov · bls.gov2023

Reference

Cite This Report

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APA

Ryan Townsend. (2026, February 13). Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Infrastructure Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-infrastructure-industry-statistics

MLA

Ryan Townsend. "Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Infrastructure Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-infrastructure-industry-statistics.

Chicago

Ryan Townsend. 2026. "Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Infrastructure Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-infrastructure-industry-statistics.