Social justice is shaped by how opportunity and risk are distributed across groups—and how those patterns show up in everyday outcomes. This page tracks material hardship like food insecurity and housing cost burdens, health gaps such as uninsured and unmet dental care, and labor issues including unemployment and union representation. It also examines how workplace fairness tools and hiring systems can affect pay equity and DEI progress, alongside the long-term impacts of incarceration on children.
Key Takeaways
- 7.2% of U.S. adults had a disability in 2022
- 7.6% of U.S. adults were unemployed in 2023
- 3.8% of White adults in the United States were unemployed in 2023
- 9.4% of workers in the United States were in a union in 2023
- 26.7 million people in the United States experienced food insecurity in 2022
- 10.2% of children in the United States were uninsured in 2022
- 14.6% of adults in the United States reported no dental visit in the past year in 2022
- 39.9% of households in the United States paid more than 30% of income on housing costs in 2022
- The United States had a Gini index of 0.481 in 2022 (income inequality measure)
- The World Bank estimated the poverty headcount ratio at $6.85/day (2017 PPP) was 29.3% for the world in 2022
- 51% of children whose parents are incarcerated are under age 6 (2016 estimate by the Urban Institute)
- In 2024, 80% of organizations reported they used at least one DEI-related metric for decision-making, according to Gartner (survey of HR leaders)
- In 2023, 56% of organizations reported they had formal processes to measure pay equity, according to Mercer’s HR survey
- In 2024, 39% of organizations reported using AI for hiring decisions, and 24% of those reported it impacted hiring outcomes (Gartner survey)
- 8.1% of U.S. adults (age 18+), or 20.3 million people, had a serious psychological distress in 2022
With rising inequality and housing cost burdens, millions face unemployment, health gaps, and hardship.
Related reading
01 · Category
Industry Trends5 stats
01
In 2024, 80% of organizations reported they used at least one DEI-related metric for decision-making, according to Gartner (survey of HR leaders)
02
In 2023, 56% of organizations reported they had formal processes to measure pay equity, according to Mercer’s HR survey
03
In 2024, 39% of organizations reported using AI for hiring decisions, and 24% of those reported it impacted hiring outcomes (Gartner survey)
04
In 2022, 45% of workplaces reported a formal process for tracking employee resource groups (ERGs) and their outcomes, according to Deloitte’s human capital trends
05
In 2023, 25% of organizations reported using employee data to predict and mitigate DEI risks, according to a Microsoft Work Trend Index companion analysis
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Across industry trends, organizations are increasingly formalizing social justice measures, such as 80% using DEI-related metrics for decisions in 2024, while AI and data use are also rising with 39% of firms using AI for hiring in 2024.
02 · Category
Labor & Wages10 stats
01
7.6% of U.S. adults were unemployed in 2023
02
3.8% of White adults in the United States were unemployed in 2023
03
9.4% of workers in the United States were in a union in 2023
04
10.8% of Black workers were in a union in 2023
05
3.7% of U.S. workers were union members in 2023
06
10.8% of Black workers were in a union in 2023
07
10.2% of Hispanic workers were in a union in 2023
08
6.5% of Asian workers were in a union in 2023
09
8.2% of women were union members in 2023
10
4.3% of men were union members in 2023
Interpretation
Labor & Wages Interpretation
In 2023, unemployment affected 7.6% of U.S. adults while union membership remained much higher for Black workers at 10.8% compared with 9.4% overall, underscoring how labor protections and workplace bargaining power are uneven across groups.
report visual · Comparison
Union membership rates by worker group (2023)
In 2023, union membership was highest among Black workers, and it exceeded the overall U.S. worker rate by a clear margin.
10.8% of Black workers were in a union in 202310.8%
10.2% of Hispanic workers were in a union in 202310.2%
8.2% of women were union members in 20238.2%
6.5% of Asian workers were in a union in 20236.5%
4.3% of men were union members in 20234.3%
3.7% of U.S. workers were union members in 20233.7%
source-verifiedbls.gov2023
03 · Category
Public Health & Access4 stats
01
26.7 million people in the United States experienced food insecurity in 2022
02
10.2% of children in the United States were uninsured in 2022
03
14.6% of adults in the United States reported no dental visit in the past year in 2022
04
In 2021, 23% of adults reported contacting a health professional for mental health or substance use concerns in the past year
Interpretation
Public Health & Access Interpretation
With 26.7 million people facing food insecurity in 2022 and 10.2% of children uninsured the same year, public health access gaps are clear and likely extend beyond basic services, reinforced by 14.6% of adults missing a dental visit and 23% of adults seeking help for mental health or substance use concerns in 2021.
More related reading
04 · Category
Housing & Safety4 stats
01
2.8 million renter households in the United States were homeless (or at risk of homelessness) in 2022
02
58.1% of households receiving rental assistance paid a greater share of their income toward rent without assistance than they would after assistance (2022)
03
26.6% of U.S. households were cost-burdened (spending 30%+ of income on housing) in 2023
04
33.5% of renters spent 30%+ of income on rent in 2022 (U.S.)
Interpretation
Housing & Safety Interpretation
In 2022, 2.8 million U.S. renter households were homeless or at risk while 33.5% of renters spent 30% or more of their income on rent, showing that Housing and Safety risks are strongly tied to unaffordable housing.
05 · Category
Economic Opportunity4 stats
01
10.6% of U.S. workers were unemployed in 2023
02
10.2% of children in the United States were in poverty in 2023
03
0.54% of the U.S. population received Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) in federal fiscal year 2022
04
4.0% of households were classified as “unbanked” in the United States in 2023
Interpretation
Economic Opportunity Interpretation
In the Economic Opportunity category, the data show that economic insecurity is still widespread, with 10.6% of U.S. workers unemployed in 2023 and 10.2% of children living in poverty, while only 0.54% receiving TANF and 4.0% of households remaining unbanked suggests gaps between need and available support.
06 · Category
Industry Overview14 stats
01
8.1% of U.S. adults (age 18+), or 20.3 million people, had a serious psychological distress in 2022
02
23.4% of U.S. adults reported having ever been diagnosed with diabetes in 2023
03
5.4% of U.S. adults had no health insurance coverage in 2022
04
The United States had a Gini index of 0.481 in 2022 (income inequality measure)
05
The World Bank estimated the poverty headcount ratio at $6.85/day (2017 PPP) was 29.3% for the world in 2022
06
3.7% of workers in the United States reported being union members in 2023
07
49% of employees reported they believe their organization measures pay equity (2023, employee survey)
08
68.0% of U.S. consumers believe companies should disclose their DEI practices (2023)
09
37.1% of public schools in the United States are “high minority” schools (2021-22)
10
19.0% of households with school-age children lacked broadband access at home in 2023
11
16.0% of adults in the United States lacked basic digital skills in 2022
12
7.2% of U.S. adults had a disability in 2022
13
39.9% of households in the United States paid more than 30% of income on housing costs in 2022
14
51% of children whose parents are incarcerated are under age 6 (2016 estimate by the Urban Institute)
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
Across the U.S. industry landscape, serious psychological distress affects 8.1% of adults while only 3.7% of workers are union members, and this combination points to ongoing health, inequality, and worker-power challenges alongside a Gini index of 0.481 in 2022.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Isabelle Moreau. (2026, February 13). Social Justice Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/social-justice-statistics
MLA
Isabelle Moreau. "Social Justice Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/social-justice-statistics.
Chicago
Isabelle Moreau. 2026. "Social Justice Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/social-justice-statistics.
Sources & references
35 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+15 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)