About Diversity in the American Workplace
According to National Public Radio, diversity has traditionally been defined as racial; that is, a company is said to have a diverse workforce if it has employees from different racial groups. However, race is only one way in which a workforce can be diverse and companies are increasingly considering a wide range of ways in which people differ, including age, gender, sexual orientation, and even hobbies.
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Legislation
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Diversity has been addressed in a series of anti-discrimination laws such as the Equal Pay Act of 1963, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, which were all designed to increase minority participation in the workforce. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was created to enforce the anti-discrimination laws. Practices prohibited by law include discrimination based on race, color, sex, national origin, religion, and disability.
Impact of Laws
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According to the Almanac on Policy Issues, researchers disagree on the impact of anti-discrimination legislation. While the median annual income for black males rose from 60 percent of white male income in 1964 to 74 percent by 1993 and median wages for women rose from 60 percent of male income in 1964 to 72 percent by 1993, many factors may have entered into that increase. Acceptance of racial diversity in the American workforce may still be an issue, since the EEOC received 83,000 complaints of discrimination in 2009, up nine percent from the previous year. Half of these complaints alleged discrimination based on race or national origin.
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A People Issue
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According to Cornell University, diversity is a people issue. It focuses on the differences and similarities workers bring to an enterprise. The goal is to include rather than reject the differences; to incorporate them as strengths into an organization. The principles of inclusion are respect for individual cultures and viewpoints and benefiting from those differences.
Changing Workforce
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According to an article in USA Today on August 13, 2008, the racial demographics of the United Sates workforce will change radically in the next three decades. Racial minorities will become majorities around 2042. The article states, "In 2050, the working-age population will be 30% Hispanic, 12% non-Hispanic black and 8% non-Hispanic Asian. Today, the breakdown is 15% Hispanic, 12% black and 5% Asian."
Considerations
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Workforce racial demographics obviously reflect the population as a whole. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the percentage of the population that is classified as white has declined from 89.5 percent of the U.S. population in 1950 to 83.4 percent in 1990. The population of African-American citizens increased from 10 to 12 percent in that time period. Figures for Hispanic persons were not available in 1950, but in 1990 Hispanics made up 8.8 percent of the U.S. population. The percentage of Hispanics who were employed is higher than other racial groups, at 68.5 percent in 2008, compared to 67 percent of Asians, and 66.3 percent of white Americans.
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References
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