In the U.S. labor force, 34.9% of workers identified as Black, Hispanic, or Asian in 2023. Women held 18.6% of management, business, science, and arts roles, while only 28% of STEM workers were women. These gaps help explain why bias keeps showing up in hiring and promotion outcomes. An NBER audit found that identical resumes with “white-sounding” names received 50% more callbacks than resumes with “Black-sounding” names.
Key Takeaways
- 50% of employees said DEI efforts make them more likely to recommend their company as a place to work, per a 2022 Mercer survey
- 59% of employees said they would prefer to work for a company that supports DEI, according to a 2021 report by Indeed
- 44% of HR professionals say they have seen increased productivity from DEI efforts, according to a 2022 report by Gartner
- 34.9% of the U.S. labor force was Black, Hispanic, or Asian in 2023, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) labor force data
- 18.6% of management, business, science, and arts occupations are held by women in 2023, according to BLS Current Population Survey estimates
- 28% of STEM workers are women (2022), based on the National Science Foundation (NSF) STEM workforce estimates
- In a 2023 audit study, identical resumes with “white-sounding” names received 50% more callbacks than resumes with “Black-sounding” names, per NBER working paper
- 37% of workers said they have been passed over for a promotion due to bias in a 2022 survey by Gartner
- Colorado’s Equal Pay Transparency Act required employers to include salary range disclosures starting in 2021 (implemented by 2021 for many employers)
- California’s AB 826 (workplace harassment and training) increased protections; the law took effect in 2019 requiring harassment training for supervisors
- In 2022, 1,200+ workplace discrimination complaints were filed with the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC)
- A 2019 meta-analysis in Psychological Science found that diversity-related outcomes improve when individuals feel included (effect size reported as standardized mean difference)
- A 2017 NBER paper found that implementing structured interviews reduced discrimination and increased hiring rates for women and minorities by 10–20% depending on role type
- A 2014 Gallup study reported that organizations with higher employee engagement have 21% higher profitability (used as a business case for people practices including inclusion)
DEI efforts boost hiring, retention, productivity, and company recommendations while reducing bias at work.
Related reading
- Statistics · Diversity Equity And Inclusion In IndustryDiversity Equity And Inclusion In The Job Industry Statistics
- Statistics · Diversity Equity And Inclusion In IndustryDiversity Equity And Inclusion In The Video Game Industry Statistics
- Statistics · Diversity Equity And Inclusion In IndustryDiversity Equity And Inclusion In The Consumer Goods Industry Statistics
- Statistics · Diversity Equity And Inclusion In IndustryDiversity Equity And Inclusion In The Health Care Industry Statistics
01 · Category
Workplace Outcomes3 stats
01
50% of employees said DEI efforts make them more likely to recommend their company as a place to work, per a 2022 Mercer survey[1]
02
59% of employees said they would prefer to work for a company that supports DEI, according to a 2021 report by Indeed[2]
03
44% of HR professionals say they have seen increased productivity from DEI efforts, according to a 2022 report by Gartner[3]
Interpretation
Workplace Outcomes Interpretation
Workplace outcomes show clear momentum for DEI, with 59% of employees preferring companies that support it and 44% of HR professionals reporting increased productivity, while 50% say DEI efforts make them more likely to recommend their employer.
02 · Category
Representation And Access5 stats
01
34.9% of the U.S. labor force was Black, Hispanic, or Asian in 2023, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) labor force data[4]
02
18.6% of management, business, science, and arts occupations are held by women in 2023, according to BLS Current Population Survey estimates[4]
03
28% of STEM workers are women (2022), based on the National Science Foundation (NSF) STEM workforce estimates[5]
04
6.5% of computer and mathematical occupations are held by Black workers (2022), per U.S. BLS[4]
05
28.1% of employees in U.S. healthcare are from racial/ethnic minority groups in 2023, according to BLS[4]
Interpretation
Representation And Access Interpretation
Representation and access gaps remain clear, with only 6.5% of computer and mathematical jobs held by Black workers in 2022 and women representing just 18.6% of management, business, science, and arts roles in 2023 despite women making up 28% of the STEM workforce.
03 · Category
Pay, Hiring, And Bias2 stats
Interpretation
Pay, Hiring, And Bias Interpretation
The data shows pay and hiring-related bias is not just felt but measurable, with a 2023 audit finding white-sounding resumes got 50% more callbacks than Black-sounding ones and a 2022 Gartner survey reporting 37% of workers have been passed over for promotions due to bias.
More related reading
04 · Category
Policy, Training, Compliance5 stats
01
Colorado’s Equal Pay Transparency Act required employers to include salary range disclosures starting in 2021 (implemented by 2021 for many employers)[7]
02
California’s AB 826 (workplace harassment and training) increased protections; the law took effect in 2019 requiring harassment training for supervisors[8]
03
In 2022, 1,200+ workplace discrimination complaints were filed with the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC)[9]
04
In 2023, the UK Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) reported 7,200+ equality-related cases opened and investigated[10]
05
In 2022, 89% of organizations had a DEI policy statement or charter, according to Gartner’s HR DEI pulse survey[3]
Interpretation
Policy, Training, Compliance Interpretation
Policy and compliance requirements are expanding across regions, with salary transparency in Colorado since 2021, harassment training strengthened in California in 2019, 1,200+ discrimination complaints filed in Canada in 2022, 7,200+ equality cases opened and investigated in the UK in 2023, and 89% of organizations reporting a DEI policy statement or charter in 2022.
05 · Category
Business Case Evidence5 stats
01
A 2019 meta-analysis in Psychological Science found that diversity-related outcomes improve when individuals feel included (effect size reported as standardized mean difference)[11]
02
A 2017 NBER paper found that implementing structured interviews reduced discrimination and increased hiring rates for women and minorities by 10–20% depending on role type[6]
03
A 2014 Gallup study reported that organizations with higher employee engagement have 21% higher profitability (used as a business case for people practices including inclusion)[12]
04
A 2020 report by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that firms with more inclusive workplace policies experienced a 3% higher retention rate[6]
05
A 2022 academic review reported that DEI interventions can yield measurable improvements in hiring outcomes ranging from 5% to 15% across studied experiments[11]
Interpretation
Business Case Evidence Interpretation
Across the business case evidence, multiple studies indicate that inclusion drives measurable gains, with structured interviews increasing hiring for women and minorities, DEI interventions improving hiring outcomes by 5% to 15%, and inclusive workplace policies linked to about a 3% higher result in 2020 NBER findings.
report visual · Key figures
Workplace attitudes, representation, and promotion bias
Surveys show strong support for DEI, while workforce and management representation gaps and promotion bias persist.
50%
50% of employees said DEI efforts make them more likely to recommend their company as a place to work, per a 2022 Mercer
59%
59% of employees said they would prefer to work for a company that supports DEI, according to a 2021 report by Indeed
18.6%
18.6% of management, business, science, and arts occupations are held by women in 2023, according to BLS Current Populat
28%
28% of STEM workers are women (2022), based on the National Science Foundation (NSF) STEM workforce estimates
37%
37% of workers said they have been passed over for a promotion due to bias in a 2022 survey by Gartner
89%
In 2022, 89% of organizations had a DEI policy statement or charter, according to Gartner’s HR DEI pulse survey
source-verifiedmercer.com · indeed.com · bls.gov · ncses.nsf.gov · gartner.com2023
Reference
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APA
Marcus Afolabi. (2026, February 13). Diversity In Workplace Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-in-workplace-statistics
MLA
Marcus Afolabi. "Diversity In Workplace Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/diversity-in-workplace-statistics.
Chicago
Marcus Afolabi. 2026. "Diversity In Workplace Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-in-workplace-statistics.
Sources & references
12 sources cited across this report