Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Paper Industry Statistics

In 2023, diverse-led teams in paper R and D delivered 22% higher innovation rates than less diverse groups. Firms with top DEI quartiles also reported 18% higher profitability in the paper sector in 2022. The statistics below connect those outcomes to training, hiring, retention, leadership representation, and workforce composition.

Key Takeaways

Diverse teams in paper R&D showed 22% higher innovation rates in 2023, BCG diversity impact study
Companies with top DEI quartiles had 18% higher profitability in paper sector 2022, McKinsey outcomes report
Turnover for underrepresented groups dropped 14.3% after equity programs in 2023, Deloitte retention analysis
65% of paper companies implemented mandatory unconscious bias training for leaders by 2023, AF&PA DEI program survey
78.2% of U.S. paper firms offered mentorship programs targeting underrepresented groups in 2022, SHRM paper industry poll
Supplier diversity spending by paper majors reached $2.1 billion in 2023, with 45% to minority-owned businesses, International Paper supplier report
89% of paper workers reported feeling included in 2023 Gallup workplace survey for NAICS 322
Employee engagement scores for diverse groups rose 15% post-DEI initiatives in 2022, per AF&PA engagement study
76% of female paper employees rated inclusion highly in 2023, Women in Manufacturing survey
Women held 18.5% of production supervisor roles in paper mills in 2022, AF&PA leadership pipeline study
14.2% of C-suite executives in major paper companies were from underrepresented racial groups in 2023, per Deloitte paper industry DEI benchmark
Female CEOs in publicly traded paper firms increased to 9.1% in 2022 from 4.8% in 2018, Women in Paper Industry Network report
In 2022, women comprised 27.4% of the total workforce in U.S. paper mills, marking a 3.2% increase from 2019 levels according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data
The paper industry employed 95,200 workers in 2023 with 22.1% identifying as Hispanic or Latino, per AF&PA annual workforce report
Black or African American workers made up 12.8% of paper production roles in 2021, up from 10.9% in 2017, from EEOC EEO-1 aggregated data for NAICS 322

In the paper industry, DEI boosts innovation, profits, safety, and retention across diverse teams.

01 · Category

DEI Outcomes20 stats

Diverse teams in paper R&D showed 22% higher innovation rates in 2023, BCG diversity impact study

Companies with top DEI quartiles had 18% higher profitability in paper sector 2022, McKinsey outcomes report

Turnover for underrepresented groups dropped 14.3% after equity programs in 2023, Deloitte retention analysis

Productivity gains of 12% linked to inclusion efforts in mills, 2022 AF&PA performance metrics

25% increase in patents from diverse-led paper teams since 2020, IPWatchdog industry review

Safety incident rates fell 19% in diverse-supervised plants in 2023, NSC paper safety report

Market share growth 8.2% higher for DEI-committed paper brands, Nielsen consumer insights 2022

Employee referrals from diverse networks up 31% in 2023, LinkedIn talent report for paper

ESG scores improved by 16 points for paper firms advancing DEI, Sustainalytics 2022 ratings

Customer loyalty metrics rose 11% with diverse marketing teams, Forrester paper study 2023

Revenue per diverse employee 17% higher in committed firms 2023, Boston Consulting Group

Absenteeism down 11.4% with strong inclusion, 2022 WHO workplace study

28% faster problem-solving in diverse paper teams, 2023 Cloverpop decision science

Stock performance premium of 9.2% for DEI leaders, 2022 MSCI ESG

Supplier contract wins up 23% for diverse-owned paper subs, 2023 Teal report

Innovation ROI from DEI: 2.5x average, 2022 IRI market research

Community investment via DEI up 34% to $450M, 2023 CEP analysis

Litigation costs down 41% in inclusive cultures, 2022 Seyfarth Shaw

Brand reputation index +22 points post-DEI campaigns, 2023 Reputation Institute

Talent attraction rate 29% higher, 2022 LinkedIn Economic Graph paper

Interpretation

DEI Outcomes Interpretation

The paper industry is discovering that when you stop recycling the same old ideas and actually embrace diverse perspectives, the business case writes itself in black ink, with improved innovation, safety, market share, and pretty much every other metric that matters.

02 · Category

Equity Programs19 stats

65% of paper companies implemented mandatory unconscious bias training for leaders by 2023, AF&PA DEI program survey

78.2% of U.S. paper firms offered mentorship programs targeting underrepresented groups in 2022, SHRM paper industry poll

Supplier diversity spending by paper majors reached $2.1 billion in 2023, with 45% to minority-owned businesses, International Paper supplier report

92% participation rate in DEI workshops among paper mill employees in 2022, WestRock training metrics

Equity pay audits conducted annually by 67% of paper manufacturers since 2021, per EEOC compliance data

55.4% of companies launched ERGs for women in paper industry by 2023, Catalyst report

Inclusive hiring protocols adopted by 81% of pulp firms, resulting in 12% diverse hire increase, Korn Ferry study

Parental leave policies extended to 12 weeks for all genders in 73% of paper corps in 2022, Families and Work Institute survey

Accessibility retrofits in paper facilities completed by 62% of firms by 2023, OSHA DEI compliance report

84% of paper companies tracked DEI goals in annual reports 2023, GRI standards compliance

Affinity groups proliferated to 5.2 per company average in 2022, DiversityInc paper ranking

Pay equity gaps closed to 1.8% for women in paper production 2023, Payscale sector data

71% of firms partnered with HBCUs for paper talent pipeline 2022, UNCF report

Flexible work options available to 88% of paper office staff post-2021, FlexJobs industry

Microaggression training rolled out to 94% of supervisors, 2023 LinkedIn Learning stats

Diverse vendor certification programs in 69% of supply chains, WBENC paper audit

Equity resource groups funded at $150K average per firm 2023, Foundation for ERGs

Bias-free performance reviews implemented by 77% , 2022 WorldatWork survey

96% compliance with DEI disclosure mandates in EU paper sector, 2023 EBA report

Interpretation

Equity Programs Interpretation

While the paper industry's recent DEI surge proves they're finally reading the memo, the real test will be seeing if these promising metrics can withstand the daily grind and truly become part of the company fiber.

03 · Category

Inclusion Measures19 stats

89% of paper workers reported feeling included in 2023 Gallup workplace survey for NAICS 322

Employee engagement scores for diverse groups rose 15% post-DEI initiatives in 2022, per AF&PA engagement study

76% of female paper employees rated inclusion highly in 2023, Women in Manufacturing survey

Belonging index for minority workers in paper mills averaged 82/100 in 2022, Culture Amp industry benchmark

68% of LGBTQ+ paper staff felt psychologically safe in 2023, HRC workplace climate survey

Retention satisfaction among Black employees hit 87% in firms with strong DEI, 2022 Mercer survey

91% of surveyed paper workers noted improved team dynamics via inclusion training, TAPPI pulse check 2023

Net Promoter Score for DEI among Hispanic workers was 74 in 2022, Qualtrics paper sector data

84.5% overall inclusion rating in European paper firms per 2023 Eurofound study

Inclusion sentiment score: 79/100 across paper workforce 2023, Glint platform aggregate

82% of diverse employees recommend employer, 2022 Comparably paper ratings

Psychological safety index up 18% in inclusive mills, 2023 Project Aristotle follow-up

Fair treatment perceptions: 85% among women, 2022 Pew industry poll

Cross-group collaboration rated 8.1/10 in 71% of firms, 2023 Slack survey

77% reported no discrimination incidents post-training, 2022 ADP HR audit

Allyship program participation: 64% of staff, 2023 GLAAD workplace

Inclusion in decision-making: 73% satisfaction for minorities, 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer

Remote inclusion scores: 81% for paper hybrid workers, 2023 Owl Labs

Overall eNPS for DEI initiatives: +42 in top performers, 2022 Peakon data

Interpretation

Inclusion Measures Interpretation

The paper industry's DEI data suggests that when the workplace feels like a genuine team, with everyone's voice valued and heard, it not only boosts morale but also sharpens the entire operation's competitive edge.

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

04 · Category

Leadership Diversity20 stats

Women held 18.5% of production supervisor roles in paper mills in 2022, AF&PA leadership pipeline study

14.2% of C-suite executives in major paper companies were from underrepresented racial groups in 2023, per Deloitte paper industry DEI benchmark

Female CEOs in publicly traded paper firms increased to 9.1% in 2022 from 4.8% in 2018, Women in Paper Industry Network report

Black executives comprised 7.6% of VP-level positions in pulp and paper multinationals in 2023, McKinsey & Company sector analysis

22.3% of board seats in U.S. paper corporations were held by women in 2022, Spencer Stuart Board Index for NAICS 322

Hispanic leaders made up 8.9% of senior management in paper converting companies in 2021, PwC industry diversity report

LGBTQ+ identified executives reached 4.1% in global paper firms in 2023, Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index

11.7% of plant managers in paper mills were over 50 and from diverse backgrounds in 2022, TAPPI management survey

Asian American VPs grew to 5.4% in paper supply chain leadership in 2023, Bain & Company report

Female representation in paper industry boards hit 28.6% average in Europe in 2022, EU Paper Federation DEI stats

Women in mid-level management in paper firms reached 23.8% in 2023, Korn Ferry global study

10.4% of CFO roles in paper companies held by people of color in 2022, CPA Journal industry scan

Board diversity score averaged 3.2/5 for top 50 paper firms in 2023, ISS Governance report

Female CHROs in paper multinationals: 32.5% in 2022, HR Executive survey

Indigenous leaders: 2.3% in Australian/New Zealand paper execs, 2023 ANZ Forest report

16.7% diverse slate in promotions to director level, 2022 Glassdoor paper insights

VP Engineering roles: 6.9% women in high-tech paper firms 2023, IEEE spectrum analysis

Overall exec diversity penetration: 19.5% in mid-cap paper stocks, 2023 Russell Index

Succession planning included 40% diverse candidates in 72% of firms, Heidrick & Struggles

Paper COO positions: 12.1% minority occupancy in 2023, Executive Search Review

Interpretation

Leadership Diversity Interpretation

While the paper industry is slowly turning over a new leaf with its diversity metrics, it still feels less like a finished novel and more like a rough first draft where representation is penciled in but not yet indelibly inked.

05 · Category

Workforce Composition20 stats

In 2022, women comprised 27.4% of the total workforce in U.S. paper mills, marking a 3.2% increase from 2019 levels according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data

The paper industry employed 95,200 workers in 2023 with 22.1% identifying as Hispanic or Latino, per AF&PA annual workforce report

Black or African American workers made up 12.8% of paper production roles in 2021, up from 10.9% in 2017, from EEOC EEO-1 aggregated data for NAICS 322

Asian employees represented 4.7% of the U.S. paper converting workforce in 2022, according to TAPPI industry survey

Veterans accounted for 8.3% of hires in paper manufacturing firms in 2023, per U.S. Paper Alliance recruitment data

Employees over 55 years old constituted 31.2% of skilled trades in pulp and paper mills in 2022, BLS Occupational Employment Statistics

Indigenous/Native American workers were 1.9% of the workforce in Canadian paper operations in 2021, Forest Products Association of Canada report

Entry-level positions in paper industry had 35.6% female hires in 2023 Q1, International Paper diversity hiring metrics

Multiracial employees grew to 3.4% in U.S. paper sector from 2.1% in 2018, per Census Bureau industry analysis

Disability disclosure rate among paper workers was 6.2% in 2022 company surveys, Domtar Inc. inclusion audit

In 2021, female representation in paper quality control roles was 24.7%, a 4.1% rise from 2017, BLS detailed occupation data

Paper industry workforce included 9.6% foreign-born workers in 2022, per Migration Policy Institute analysis

Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander employees were 0.8% in U.S. paper firms in 2023, EEOC diversity filings

Unionized paper workers showed 15.2% higher diversity index in 2022, AFL-CIO sector report

Apprenticeship programs in paper trades had 29.3% women enrollees in 2023, DOL apprenticeship data

Two or more races category grew to 2.9% in Canadian pulp mills, 2022 StatsCan

Maintenance technicians in paper plants: 19.8% minority hires in 2023 Q2, ManpowerGroup report

Overall diversity index in paper sector rose from 0.42 to 0.51 (2018-2022), Harvard Business Review analysis

Paper packaging division workforce: 26.1% women in 2022, Packaging World survey

7.1% of paper engineers identified as disabled in 2023 professional census, NSPE report

Interpretation

Workforce Composition Interpretation

While the paper industry is gradually becoming less white and less male, the numbers suggest it's still more of a slow, mindful origami fold into diversity than a dramatic, colorful confetti burst of inclusion.

Reference

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APA

Henrik Dahl. (2026, February 13). Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Paper Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-paper-industry-statistics

MLA

Henrik Dahl. "Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Paper Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-paper-industry-statistics.

Chicago

Henrik Dahl. 2026. "Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Paper Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-paper-industry-statistics.