About 6.2% of U.S. workers with a disability are employed in 2023, a gap that helps explain why labor force participation looks so different depending on ability. At the same time, women make up 28.2% of U.S. STEM doctorate holders’ underrepresented minority pipeline and 34.7% of STEM doctorate holders in the U.S. are from underrepresented minority groups, adding another layer to who gets to advance. Put next to income inequality, discrimination, and healthcare access patterns, the picture gets complex fast, and that is exactly what this post breaks down.
Key Takeaways
- 0.6% of U.S. residents identify as Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander (alone) in 2023 ACS estimates
- 12.7% of U.S. adults (about 33.2 million) identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ+) in 2023–2024 (Gallup estimates)
- 28.2% of U.S. workers are women in 2024 (BLS labor force data; women as a share of employment)
- 34.7% of STEM doctorate holders in the U.S. are from underrepresented minority groups in 2021 (NSF Survey of Earned Doctorates)
- 45.0% of people with disabilities aged 16–64 are in the labor force, compared with 72.0% without disabilities (2022–2023 CPS/ACS labor force comparisons)
- Asian women earn 84 cents for every $1 earned by White, non-Hispanic men (BLS earnings comparisons)
- In 2022, Hispanic workers had median weekly earnings of $665 compared with $1,001 for White workers
- In 2023, workers with a disability earned $900 median weekly versus $1,000 for those without a disability (BLS disability labor force/earnings comparisons)
- In 2022, 90% of children in the U.S. ages 3–5 were enrolled in school (pre-K/kindergarten) with enrollment varying by race/ethnicity (NCES)
- In 2022, women earned 57% of bachelor’s degrees awarded in the U.S. (NCES)
- In 2023, Black adults were 2.2× as likely as White adults to report they skipped needed medical care due to cost (CDC National Health Interview Survey analysis)
- In 2022, the life expectancy at birth was 76.4 years for Black people and 79.0 years for White people in the U.S. (CDC/NCHS National Vital Statistics Reports)
- In 2022, 25.4% of U.S. adults reported having at least one disability (CDC BRFSS/NCHS estimates compiled)
- 58.7% of people with disabilities age 18–64 were employed in 2023 (U.S.)
- 29.0% of U.S. adults said they have experienced discrimination based on race or ethnicity (2023)
Diversity and inequality persist in pay, health, and employment even as many underrepresented groups expand their roles.
Related reading
01 · Category
Demographics2 stats
01
0.6% of U.S. residents identify as Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander (alone) in 2023 ACS estimates
02
12.7% of U.S. adults (about 33.2 million) identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ+) in 2023–2024 (Gallup estimates)
Interpretation
Demographics Interpretation
In the demographics of America, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander residents make up just 0.6% of the population in 2023 ACS estimates, while 12.7% of U.S. adults identify as LGBTQ+ in 2023 to 2024 Gallup estimates, showing both how small this specific group’s share is and how widely LGBTQ+ identity is represented.
02 · Category
Workforce Representation6 stats
01
28.2% of U.S. workers are women in 2024 (BLS labor force data; women as a share of employment)
02
34.7% of STEM doctorate holders in the U.S. are from underrepresented minority groups in 2021 (NSF Survey of Earned Doctorates)
03
45.0% of people with disabilities aged 16–64 are in the labor force, compared with 72.0% without disabilities (2022–2023 CPS/ACS labor force comparisons)
04
6.2% of U.S. adults with disabilities were employed in 2023 (BLS/Employment for persons with disabilities)
05
6.2% of workers in 2023 reported having a disability and being employed
06
15.2% of U.S. workers were union members in 2023
Interpretation
Workforce Representation Interpretation
Workforce representation remains uneven in the United States, with women at 28.2% of workers in 2024 and only 6.2% of adults with disabilities employed in 2023, while union membership stands at 15.2% and underrepresented minorities make up 34.7% of STEM doctorate holders.
03 · Category
Pay & Inequality5 stats
01
Asian women earn 84 cents for every $1earned by White, non-Hispanic men (BLS earnings comparisons)
02
In 2022, Hispanic workers had median weekly earnings of $665compared with $1,001 for White workers
03
In 2023, workers with a disability earned $900median weekly versus $1,000 for those without a disability (BLS disability labor force/earnings comparisons)
04
In 2023, the Gini index for income inequality in the U.S. was 0.486 (U.S. Census Bureau CPS ASEC, after-tax and before-tax comparisons shown)
05
In 2022, median household wealth was $29,670for Hispanic households (SCF)
Interpretation
Pay & Inequality Interpretation
Pay inequality persists across major groups in America, with Hispanic workers earning $665 median weekly compared with $1,001 for White workers in 2022 and disabled workers earning $900 versus $1,000 without a disability in 2023, reinforcing how unequal pay remains a central driver of broader inequality.
04 · Category
Education & Mobility2 stats
01
In 2022, 90% of children in the U.S. ages 3–5 were enrolled in school (pre-K/kindergarten) with enrollment varying by race/ethnicity (NCES)
02
In 2022, women earned 57% of bachelor’s degrees awarded in the U.S. (NCES)
Interpretation
Education & Mobility Interpretation
In Education and Mobility, 90% of U.S. children ages 3 to 5 were enrolled in pre K or kindergarten in 2022, and women received 57% of bachelor’s degrees, showing both early access to learning and a clear gender tilt at the higher education level.
05 · Category
Health & Access6 stats
01
In 2023, Black adults were 2.2× as likely as White adults to report they skipped needed medical care due to cost (CDC National Health Interview Survey analysis)
02
In 2022, the life expectancy at birth was 76.4 years for Black people and 79.0 years for White people in the U.S. (CDC/NCHS National Vital Statistics Reports)
03
In 2022, 25.4% of U.S. adults reported having at least one disability (CDC BRFSS/NCHS estimates compiled)
04
In 2023, 20.9% of U.S. adults were current smokers (CDC/NCHS fastats)
05
In 2023, the CDC reports that 17.5% of adults had diabetes (CDC/NCHS fastats)
06
In 2022, 36.9% of adults reported experiencing at least one adverse mental health condition (CDC)
Interpretation
Health & Access Interpretation
Health and access gaps in the US remain stark, with Black adults 2.2 times as likely as White adults to skip needed care due to cost and large disparities in outcomes such as life expectancy, 76.4 years for Black people versus 79.0 for White people in 2022.
More related reading
06 · Category
Disability & Health1 stats
01
58.7% of people with disabilities age 18–64 were employed in 2023 (U.S.)
Interpretation
Disability & Health Interpretation
In the Disability and Health landscape, employment among people with disabilities ages 18 to 64 reached 58.7% in 2023, underscoring both meaningful workforce participation and the ongoing gap that still remains.
07 · Category
Equity Perceptions1 stats
01
29.0% of U.S. adults said they have experienced discrimination based on race or ethnicity (2023)
Interpretation
Equity Perceptions Interpretation
In 2023, 29.0% of U.S. adults reported experiencing discrimination based on race or ethnicity, underscoring that equity perceptions are shaped by real lived experiences for nearly a third of the population.
08 · Category
Demographics & Identity1 stats
01
5.6% of U.S. adults identified as Asian in 2023
Interpretation
Demographics & Identity Interpretation
In the Demographics and Identity landscape, 5.6% of U.S. adults identified as Asian in 2023, underscoring the presence of this group within the nation’s broader racial and identity composition.
09 · Category
Education Attainment2 stats
01
48.6% of all undergraduate students in the U.S. were students of color in fall 2022
02
34.0% of public school teachers were people of color in the 2021–22 school year
Interpretation
Education Attainment Interpretation
In the Education Attainment category, students of color made up 48.6% of U.S. undergraduates in fall 2022 while public school teachers were only 34.0% people of color in 2021–22, pointing to a persistent representation gap between those entering higher education and those guiding K through 12 classrooms.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, February 13). Diversity In America Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-in-america-statistics
MLA
Samuel Norberg. "Diversity In America Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/diversity-in-america-statistics.
Chicago
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Diversity In America Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-in-america-statistics.
Sources & references
26 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+18 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)