Google’s Workforce Is Predominately White Or Asian And Male, Reveals Newly Released Diversity Data

On Wednesday, Google released data revealing the makeup of its technical workforce, providing a rare look at the company’s record of hiring women (some) and African-Americans and Hispanics (hardly any).

The tech industry has come under scrutiny for its lack of diversity, but Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) at least revealed its employee diversity breakdown, a step many companies have yet to take.

Released exclusively to PBS NewsHour, the data shows that Google’s technical workforce is comprised of 17 percent women and its leadership is 21 percent female. The company has a worldwide workforce of 46,170 employees.

Black employees make up just 1 percent of the company’s tech workforce in the U.S. and Hispanics account for 2 percent. Asians and Asian-Americans make up 34 percent of the U.S. tech workforce.

Thirty percent of Google’s worldwide workforce are women. This places the company below average, as the Bureau of Labor Statistics says women make up 47 percent of the total workforce in the United States.

Of all the corporation’s employees in the United States, 61 percent are white, 30 percent are Asian, and 4 percent are two or more races. Blacks make up just 2 percent of the company’s total employees in the U.S. and Hispanics account for 3 percent.

Google revealed the data in response to increased scrutiny the tech industry is facing for its lack of diversity. Leaders and activists, such as the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr., have been demanding that tech companies release such information. Though many Silicon Valley companies have remained reluctant, Google’s chief legal officer, David Drummond, promised to do so earlier this month.

“We’re not where we want to be when it comes to diversity,” Laszlo Bock, Google’s senior vice president for people operations, told the NewsHour in a statement. “It is hard to address these kinds of challenges if you’re not prepared to discuss them openly, and with the facts. All our diversity efforts, including going public with these numbers, are designed to ensure Google recruits and retain many more women and minorities in the future.”