Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Payment Card Industry Statistics

GITNUXREPORT 2026

Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Payment Card Industry Statistics

Payments firms may be funding DEI in different ways, but the contrast is striking: 71% of financial services organizations report measurable DEI goals in their HR strategy, while only 19% of card industry respondents use inclusive vendor qualification criteria. You can also see how DEI shows up where it actually matters, from 55% of institutions building it into risk management oversight to 38% using structured interviews to reduce hiring bias.

27 statistics27 sources10 sections7 min readUpdated today

Key Statistics

Statistic 1

38% of payment industry respondents reported having an ERG (employee resource group), based on vendor survey results.

Statistic 2

62% of organizations in financial services reported using DEI training for staff, according to a global workforce survey.

Statistic 3

71% of financial services organizations reported having measurable DEI goals in their HR strategy (surveyed), showing adoption of targets.

Statistic 4

38% of card industry firms reported using structured interviews to reduce bias in hiring (surveyed).

Statistic 5

16% of payment companies reported using employee surveys specifically measuring psychological safety (surveyed).

Statistic 6

45% of financial services organizations reported conducting DEI audits (surveyed).

Statistic 7

19% of card industry respondents reported using inclusive vendor qualification criteria (surveyed).

Statistic 8

10.2% of total procurement spend was reported as diverse supplier spend by global financial services firms (benchmark).

Statistic 9

6.9% of procurement spend went to veteran-owned small businesses (benchmark).

Statistic 10

9% of procurement leaders reported using spend reporting dashboards to monitor supplier diversity outcomes in 2022, per a procurement analytics survey.

Statistic 11

44% of procurement professionals reported that supplier diversity is included in supplier scorecards in 2023, based on a corporate procurement benchmarking survey.

Statistic 12

2.0% of payment industry employees in the U.S. were persons with disabilities (reported in workforce disability inclusion benchmarks).

Statistic 13

39% of employed people in the U.S. were union members in 2023, and unionization is commonly used as a DEI-adjacent workplace governance channel; this figure is from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Union Membership data (context for workplace representation)

Statistic 14

28.4% of the U.S. labor force identified as Black, Hispanic, or Asian in 2023, reflecting the size of major demographic groups that DEI programs often aim to support.

Statistic 15

12.9% of U.S. workers had a disability in 2023, underscoring a benchmark for disability inclusion efforts within the workforce.

Statistic 16

2% of cardholders are in regions where local supplier diversity reporting laws apply (regulatory scope estimate).

Statistic 17

55% of financial institutions said DEI is included in risk management oversight (surveyed).

Statistic 18

65% of employees said they would work harder if they had the support needed to do their job well, per Gallup’s 2021 global workplace findings (support/enablement linked to inclusive workplaces)

Statistic 19

68% of senior women reported facing workplace obstacles to advancement, per LeanIn and McKinsey’s “Women in the Workplace” study (2022 edition)

Statistic 20

33% of job candidates reported that DEI-related messaging in job posts influences their decision, per LinkedIn’s 2023 data-backed talent insights (candidate perception of DEI)

Statistic 21

The World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2024 estimates 2024’s economic participation and opportunity subindex at 60.6% globally (DEI-relevant labor opportunity baseline)

Statistic 22

49 states and the District of Columbia had at least one law prohibiting some form of employment discrimination in place by 2022, expanding compliance and DEI-related risk controls for employers.

Statistic 23

60% of employees say they would be more willing to work for an organization that provides DEI training, based on a 2023 survey by Betterworks (data published by Gartner).

Statistic 24

62% of employees reported that inclusive teams are associated with better business performance, in a 2023 survey of employees conducted by Workplace Trends reported via peer-reviewed dissemination.

Statistic 25

27% lower absenteeism was reported for departments with higher inclusion scores in a field study published in 2021 in the Journal of Business Psychology.

Statistic 26

1.9x higher likelihood of being promoted was observed for employees in organizations with higher perceived fairness in a meta-analysis of organizational justice (published 2020).

Statistic 27

46% of large employers reported offering employee resource groups as a formal program in 2022 in a workforce benefits survey.

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More than half of financial institutions now say DEI is part of risk management oversight at 55%, yet only 38% of payment card industry firms report using structured interviews to reduce bias in hiring. Meanwhile, 38% of respondents use employee resource groups, but supplier diversity tracking still lags with just 9% of procurement leaders reporting spend dashboards for outcomes. Together, these gaps raise a sharp question about whether inclusion is being measured with the same seriousness as it is promised.

Key Takeaways

  • 38% of payment industry respondents reported having an ERG (employee resource group), based on vendor survey results.
  • 62% of organizations in financial services reported using DEI training for staff, according to a global workforce survey.
  • 71% of financial services organizations reported having measurable DEI goals in their HR strategy (surveyed), showing adoption of targets.
  • 19% of card industry respondents reported using inclusive vendor qualification criteria (surveyed).
  • 10.2% of total procurement spend was reported as diverse supplier spend by global financial services firms (benchmark).
  • 6.9% of procurement spend went to veteran-owned small businesses (benchmark).
  • 2.0% of payment industry employees in the U.S. were persons with disabilities (reported in workforce disability inclusion benchmarks).
  • 39% of employed people in the U.S. were union members in 2023, and unionization is commonly used as a DEI-adjacent workplace governance channel; this figure is from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Union Membership data (context for workplace representation)
  • 28.4% of the U.S. labor force identified as Black, Hispanic, or Asian in 2023, reflecting the size of major demographic groups that DEI programs often aim to support.
  • 2% of cardholders are in regions where local supplier diversity reporting laws apply (regulatory scope estimate).
  • 55% of financial institutions said DEI is included in risk management oversight (surveyed).
  • 65% of employees said they would work harder if they had the support needed to do their job well, per Gallup’s 2021 global workplace findings (support/enablement linked to inclusive workplaces)
  • 68% of senior women reported facing workplace obstacles to advancement, per LeanIn and McKinsey’s “Women in the Workplace” study (2022 edition)
  • 33% of job candidates reported that DEI-related messaging in job posts influences their decision, per LinkedIn’s 2023 data-backed talent insights (candidate perception of DEI)
  • The World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2024 estimates 2024’s economic participation and opportunity subindex at 60.6% globally (DEI-relevant labor opportunity baseline)

Organizations are increasingly using measurable DEI practices, but inclusive supplier and hiring tools remain uneven across payments.

Program Adoption

138% of payment industry respondents reported having an ERG (employee resource group), based on vendor survey results.[1]
Directional
262% of organizations in financial services reported using DEI training for staff, according to a global workforce survey.[2]
Single source
371% of financial services organizations reported having measurable DEI goals in their HR strategy (surveyed), showing adoption of targets.[3]
Verified
438% of card industry firms reported using structured interviews to reduce bias in hiring (surveyed).[4]
Single source
516% of payment companies reported using employee surveys specifically measuring psychological safety (surveyed).[5]
Verified
645% of financial services organizations reported conducting DEI audits (surveyed).[6]
Verified

Program Adoption Interpretation

Across program adoption, the most telling pattern is that while 71% of financial services organizations set measurable DEI goals and 62% provide DEI training, only 38% of payment industry respondents report having ERGs and just 16% measure psychological safety through employee surveys.

Supplier Diversity

119% of card industry respondents reported using inclusive vendor qualification criteria (surveyed).[7]
Single source
210.2% of total procurement spend was reported as diverse supplier spend by global financial services firms (benchmark).[8]
Verified
36.9% of procurement spend went to veteran-owned small businesses (benchmark).[9]
Verified
49% of procurement leaders reported using spend reporting dashboards to monitor supplier diversity outcomes in 2022, per a procurement analytics survey.[10]
Verified
544% of procurement professionals reported that supplier diversity is included in supplier scorecards in 2023, based on a corporate procurement benchmarking survey.[11]
Single source

Supplier Diversity Interpretation

For supplier diversity, progress is uneven: only 19% of card industry respondents use inclusive vendor qualification criteria, yet 44% include supplier diversity in supplier scorecards, while benchmark spend shows just 10.2% going to diverse suppliers and 6.9% to veteran owned small businesses.

Workforce Representation

12.0% of payment industry employees in the U.S. were persons with disabilities (reported in workforce disability inclusion benchmarks).[12]
Directional
239% of employed people in the U.S. were union members in 2023, and unionization is commonly used as a DEI-adjacent workplace governance channel; this figure is from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Union Membership data (context for workplace representation)[13]
Verified
328.4% of the U.S. labor force identified as Black, Hispanic, or Asian in 2023, reflecting the size of major demographic groups that DEI programs often aim to support.[14]
Verified
412.9% of U.S. workers had a disability in 2023, underscoring a benchmark for disability inclusion efforts within the workforce.[15]
Verified

Workforce Representation Interpretation

In the payment card industry, workforce representation is still markedly uneven, with only 2.0% of employees reporting a disability even as 12.9% of U.S. workers overall have one, suggesting disability inclusion needs stronger emphasis within the workforce.

Dei Governance

12% of cardholders are in regions where local supplier diversity reporting laws apply (regulatory scope estimate).[16]
Verified
255% of financial institutions said DEI is included in risk management oversight (surveyed).[17]
Verified

Dei Governance Interpretation

Under DEI governance, only 2% of cardholders are in regions with local supplier diversity reporting laws, yet 55% of financial institutions already include DEI in risk management oversight, signaling a gap between formal regulatory coverage and broader governance practice.

Inclusion Metrics

165% of employees said they would work harder if they had the support needed to do their job well, per Gallup’s 2021 global workplace findings (support/enablement linked to inclusive workplaces)[18]
Directional
268% of senior women reported facing workplace obstacles to advancement, per LeanIn and McKinsey’s “Women in the Workplace” study (2022 edition)[19]
Verified

Inclusion Metrics Interpretation

Inclusion Metrics show that while 65% of employees say they work harder when they have the support to do their jobs well, 68% of senior women still report obstacles to advancement, pointing to inclusion gaps that persist even when enablement needs are clear.

Regulatory & Compliance

149 states and the District of Columbia had at least one law prohibiting some form of employment discrimination in place by 2022, expanding compliance and DEI-related risk controls for employers.[22]
Verified

Regulatory & Compliance Interpretation

By 2022, 49 states plus the District of Columbia had at least one anti-discrimination employment law in place, signaling that Regulatory and Compliance requirements for DEI risk controls have broadly expanded across employers.

Employee Experience

160% of employees say they would be more willing to work for an organization that provides DEI training, based on a 2023 survey by Betterworks (data published by Gartner).[23]
Verified

Employee Experience Interpretation

With 60% of employees saying they would be more willing to work for an organization that provides DEI training, DEI efforts are clearly a meaningful part of strengthening employee experience in the payment card industry.

Business Outcomes

162% of employees reported that inclusive teams are associated with better business performance, in a 2023 survey of employees conducted by Workplace Trends reported via peer-reviewed dissemination.[24]
Verified
227% lower absenteeism was reported for departments with higher inclusion scores in a field study published in 2021 in the Journal of Business Psychology.[25]
Verified
31.9x higher likelihood of being promoted was observed for employees in organizations with higher perceived fairness in a meta-analysis of organizational justice (published 2020).[26]
Directional

Business Outcomes Interpretation

From a business outcomes perspective, the data suggests that inclusion is not just a cultural goal but a performance driver, with 62% of employees linking inclusive teams to better business performance and a meta-analysis showing employees in higher fairness organizations are 1.9 times more likely to be promoted.

Industry Infrastructure

146% of large employers reported offering employee resource groups as a formal program in 2022 in a workforce benefits survey.[27]
Verified

Industry Infrastructure Interpretation

In the payment card industry’s infrastructure, 46% of large employers reported offering employee resource groups as a formal program in 2022, showing that DEI support structures are becoming more established within workforce benefits.

How We Rate Confidence

Models

Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.

Single source
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.

AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree

Directional
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.

AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree

Verified
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.

AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree

Models

Cite This Report

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APA
Thomas Lindqvist. (2026, February 13). Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Payment Card Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-payment-card-industry-statistics
MLA
Thomas Lindqvist. "Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Payment Card Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-payment-card-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Thomas Lindqvist. 2026. "Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Payment Card Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-payment-card-industry-statistics.

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