Women and Hispanic or Latino Workers Increase their Share of the Manufacturing Workforce
In 2023 the share of women in the manufacturing workforce increased to 29.5%, up from 29.3% in 2022. We also saw strong gains with Hispanic and Latino workers in 2023, increasing their share of the manufacturing workforce to 18.1%, up from 17.4% in 2022. Asian workers also experienced gains in 2023, representing 7.6% of the manufacturing workforce in 2023, this is up from 7.4% in 2022. Black or African American workers did not experience any change compared to 2022, representing 10.8% of manufacturing employees.
These trends continue the strong gains in the diversity of the manufacturing workforce that we’ve experienced throughout the past decade. In 2013, women represented 28.7% of the manufacturing workforce, Hispanic or Latino workers represented only 15.7%, and Black or African American workers represented 9.5% of the workforce.
Key takeaway: After growing by just 0.5% from 2013 to 2022, women grew their representation in the manufacturing workforce by 0.2% in 2023 alone. This is an encouraging rate of growth.
With the manufacturing industry averaging 622,000 job openings per month in 2023, manufacturers will have to continue to recruit and retain talent from underrepresented populations to meet their employment needs.
Learn more how to address these gaps: In 2022, The Manufacturing Institute launched its 35×30 campaign. The nationwide initiative aims to increase the percentage of women in manufacturing to 35% by 2030 using mentorship, employer resources, and development opportunities to close the gender gap in manufacturing. Visit our webpage to learn more about how to get involved.
