Diverse Workers Looking to Jump Ship

According to a press release, nearly two-in-five diverse workers (38%) plan to look for new jobs as the economy improves. Almost half of Asian workers (47%) plan to change jobs in a better economy, followed by African American workers (43%) and disabled workers (42%). Despite ranking lower in pay and title, women (31%) and Hispanic workers (35%) are the least likely of diverse workers to pursue new positions.  

More than half (51%) of non-diverse workers feel diverse workers have a better chance of landing a new job, but only 34% of diverse workers agree. However, two-thirds of diverse workers don’t market themselves as diverse when looking for a position. Of these, 25% believe marketing themselves as diverse will lessen their chances of getting a job interview.  

“The U.S. workplace has experienced fundamental shifts over the last two decades that have had a major impact on business, including economic downturns, the introduction of new technology and the strengthening of laws designed to promote equality,” said Dr. Sanja Licina, Senior Director, Talent Intelligence & Consulting at CareerBuilder, in the press release. “While companies have made strides in creating an inclusive workplace for all workers, there is still work to be done, especially in the areas of hiring, compensation, and career advancement.” 

The survey found patterns in the compensation, career advancement opportunities, and overall perception of discrimination reported by each of diverse worker groups.   

• Workers with disabilities were the most likely (58%) to report earning less than $50,000, followed by women (52%) and Hispanics (51%);  
• 62% of Asian and LGBT workers reported making $50,000 or more, the highest of all diverse segments and two percentage points higher than non-diverse workers; 
• LGBT (18%) and non-diverse (17%) workers were the most likely to report a paycheck of six figures; women (6%) and African Americans and Hispanic workers (8%), were the least likely; 
• Asian workers were the least likely (11%) to report holding a management position, and most (69%) reported falling into the Professional/Technical category and were the most likely of all segments to work in technology-related positions; 
• Disabled workers also ranked high (62%) in the Professional/Technical category, and were the most likely of all segments to work in health-related positions and social assistance 
• Non-diverse (26%) and LGBT (22%) were the most likely to hold management titles; women and African Americans reported the lowest tendency to hold management positions at 15% each;
• Hispanic workers and women were the most likely to hold entry-level and administrative/clerical positions at 49% and 40%, respectively; and 
• African American workers were the most likely (25%) to report feeling discriminated against in their current job, followed by disabled workers (22%), Hispanic workers (21%), women (19%) and LGBT workers (18%); only 11% of Asian workers reported feeling discriminated against in the workplace, trending below non-diverse workers who came in at 14%. 

CareerBuilder surveyed more than 1,300 diverse workers, and the study focused on larger economies and workforces, targeting the top 20 markets in the U.S. by population. Diverse workers were defined as African Americans, Asians, Hispanics, women, workers with disabilities, and lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender, while non-diverse workers were defined as Caucasian males who are not LGBT or disabled.

The full report is available here. 

-Sara Kelly