As a country composed primarily of immigrants and descendants of immigrants, one of the strengths of the United States is the country’s diverse workforce. In this study, AdvisorSmith examines the industries that have the most ethnoracially diverse workforce based on data published by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. We examined 278 U.S. industries based on four major ethnoracial categories (White, Black or African American, Asian, and Hispanic or Latino Origin). We calculated the percentage of workers identifying in each category to develop a diversity score, which we used to find the top 25 industries with the most diversity.
Our analysis found that some of the most diverse industries were in transportation and logistics, internet publishing and online retail, residential and home health care, and personal services. Read on to discover the top 25 industries with the most diverse workforce in the United States.
Top 25 Most Diverse Industries in the U.S.
1. Taxi and limousine service
Number Employed (thousands): 703
White (%): 52.5
Black or African American (%): 29.9
Asian (%): 15.6
Hispanic or Latino (%): 23.5
The taxi and limousine service industry provides transportation for riders and passengers who need point-to-point transportation. This classification includes those who work for rideshare companies in addition to taxi and limousine service that is regulated by cities and other local governments. The majority of jobs in this industry are drivers, with other common jobs being dispatchers and auto mechanics.
2. Online shopping
BLS Category: Electronic shopping
Number Employed (thousands): 556
White (%): 58.8
Black or African American (%): 23.4
Asian (%): 14
Hispanic or Latino (%): 13.7
The online shopping industry comprises internet retail businesses that take orders through the internet and ship them to customers. This industry includes retail giants such as Amazon, as well as smaller independent retailers who may run stores on sites such as Ebay or Shopify. The most common jobs in this industry include customer service and sales representatives, and warehouse and logistics workers. The industry also includes business operations, technology, and design jobs.
3. Nail salons and other personal care services
Number Employed (thousands): 600
White (%): 44.8
Black or African American (%): 6.2
Asian (%): 46.4
Hispanic or Latino (%): 9.4
Nail salons are specialty beauty salon businesses that offer care for nails, such as manicures and pedicures. Some nail salons also offer skin care services. Most workers in nail salons are engaged in caring for clients’ nails, and their titles can be nail technician, manicurist, or nailist. The nail salon industry had the highest concentration of Asian American workers of any industry, at 46.4% of workers, based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
4. Bus service and urban transit
Number Employed (thousands): 492
White (%): 59.1
Black or African American (%): 31.4
Asian (%): 7.2
Hispanic or Latino (%): 18.7
The bus service and urban transit industry provides public and private transportation for individuals and businesses who do not wish to travel by private automobile or taxi. This industry includes publicly run local bus services, local rail services including streetcars, light rail, and subways, and private bus transportation such as charter buses. Mass transit is an important contributor to reducing traffic congestion as well as reducing carbon emissions. The bus service and urban transit industry had the highest concentration of Black or African American workers of any industry, at 31.4%. Jobs in this industry include bus driver, subway operator, customer service representative, dispatcher, and vehicle maintenance worker.
5. Home health care services
Number Employed (thousands): 1,412
White (%): 59.7
Black or African American (%): 30.5
Asian (%): 6.1
Hispanic or Latino (%): 18.4
Home health care services is an important industry that provides health care or supportive care for patients in their own homes, rather than in an institutional environment such as a hospital or nursing home. Since many patients are more comfortable at home or prefer to stay at home, home health care services are an important service that allows patients to be as comfortable as possible while receiving care. The most common jobs in this industry include home health care aide and home health care nurse.
| Rank | Industry | Diversity Score | Number Employed (thousands) | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taxi and limousine service | 64.7 | 703 | 52.5% | 29.9% | 15.6% | 23.5% |
| 2 | Electronic shopping | 61.9 | 556 | 58.8% | 23.4% | 14.0% | 13.7% |
| 3 | Nail salons and other personal care services | 61.1 | 600 | 44.8% | 6.2% | 46.4% | 9.4% |
| 4 | Bus service and urban transit | 59.7 | 492 | 59.1% | 31.4% | 7.2% | 18.7% |
| 5 | Home health care services | 59.6 | 1412 | 59.7% | 30.5% | 6.1% | 18.4% |
| 6 | Traveler accommodation | 57.7 | 1385 | 65.6% | 18.8% | 9.6% | 30.2% |
| 7 | Mail-order houses | 57.7 | 82 | 64.2% | 22.1% | 6.6% | 12.4% |
| 8 | Barber shops | 57.7 | 150 | 62.5% | 29.0% | 6.0% | 28.4% |
| 9 | Postal Service | 57.4 | 669 | 62.1% | 27.2% | 7.8% | 11.3% |
| 10 | Drycleaning and laundry services | 57.3 | 275 | 65.5% | 14.0% | 17.0% | 31.9% |
| 11 | Warehousing and storage | 56.7 | 788 | 65.3% | 23.8% | 5.2% | 32.2% |
| 12 | Internet publishing and broadcasting and web search portals | 56.2 | 180 | 62.4% | 7.8% | 26.4% | 6.7% |
| 13 | Administration of human resource programs | 55.9 | 1038 | 66.5% | 21.8% | 6.6% | 16.0% |
| 14 | Animal slaughtering and processing | 55.7 | 585 | 66.4% | 21.9% | 5.6% | 35.3% |
| 15 | Shoe stores | 55.6 | 161 | 67.0% | 21.8% | 7.4% | 18.0% |
| 16 | Nursing care facilities (skilled nursing facilities) | 55.3 | 1663 | 64.4% | 27.6% | 4.3% | 12.6% |
| 17 | Electronic and precision equipment repair and maintenance | 55.3 | 150 | 68.6% | 12.2% | 14.4% | 18.3% |
| 18 | Couriers and messengers | 55.3 | 938 | 66.6% | 25.1% | 4.1% | 19.5% |
| 19 | Wholesale electronic markets and agents and brokers | 54.7 | 79 | 66.8% | 6.0% | 26.5% | 23.0% |
| 20 | Computer and peripheral equipment manufacturing | 54.5 | 174 | 63.9% | 4.0% | 28.9% | 9.8% |
| 21 | Air transportation | 54.5 | 656 | 67.9% | 20.0% | 7.2% | 14.1% |
| 22 | Investigation and security services | 54.3 | 811 | 66.9% | 26.4% | 3.2% | 18.4% |
| 23 | Automotive equipment rental and leasing | 54.3 | 162 | 67.9% | 22.1% | 6.8% | 16.3% |
| 24 | Miscellaneous general merchandise stores | 54.2 | 609 | 69.6% | 19.1% | 5.2% | 21.1% |
| 25 | Residential care facilities, except skilled nursing facilities | 53.4 | 995 | 67.5% | 23.9% | 4.8% | 12.6% |
6. Traveler accommodation
Number Employed (thousands): 1,385
White (%): 65.6
Black or African American (%): 18.8
Asian (%): 9.6
Hispanic or Latino (%): 30.2
The traveler accommodation industry, which includes hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, and other types of accommodations, provides lodging for business and leisure travelers when they are away from home. Whether it is for a business trip or a family vacation, travelers rely upon the traveler accommodation industry in order to have a comfortable, safe place to stay on their trips. The most common jobs in this industry are cleaning and maintenance jobs, cooks and servers, front desk clerks, and security.
7. Mail-order businesses
BLS Category: Mail-order houses
Number Employed (thousands): 82
White (%): 64.2
Black or African American (%): 22.1
Asian (%): 6.6
Hispanic or Latino (%): 12.4
Although most companies have shifted their focus to the internet, there are still companies that accept orders primarily through mail-order catalogs. The mail-order houses industry consists of companies that send catalogs to their clients and accept orders through phone, fax, internet, or mail. Similar to the online shopping industry, mail-order houses employ customer service representatives and warehouse and logistics workers.
8. Barbershops
Number Employed (thousands): 150
White (%): 62.5
Black or African American (%): 29
Asian (%): 6
Hispanic or Latino (%): 28.4
Barbershops are where customers visit to get their hair cut, trimmed, styled, colored, or washed. This industry includes hairstylists and cosmetologists.
9. Postal service
Number Employed (thousands): 669
White (%): 62.1
Black or African American (%): 27.2
Asian (%): 7.8
Hispanic or Latino (%): 11.3
The postal service industry consists of the employees and contractors of the U.S. Postal Service who deliver mail and packages to households and businesses all over the country. The USPS plays a crucial role in keeping commerce running smoothly in the United States, especially with the rise of online shopping. Mail carriers, mail sorters, and postal clerks are the most common jobs in the postal service industry.
10. Drycleaning and laundry services
Number Employed (thousands): 275
White (%): 65.5
Black or African American (%): 14
Asian (%): 17
Hispanic or Latino (%): 31.9
Drycleaning and laundry services provide clothes cleaning services to their customers. Additionally, many of these businesses provide ancillary services such as pressing, garment alterations, and others. Most workers in this industry work in production operations, which involves cleaning clothes. Other jobs include sales clerks and delivery personnel.
11. Warehousing and storage
Number Employed (thousands): 788
White (%): 65.3
Black or African American (%): 23.8
Asian (%): 5.2
Hispanic or Latino (%): 32.2
The warehousing and storage industry provides storage for goods and inventory for manufacturers, distributors, and retailers. Companies in this industry do not own the goods that they store and handle. With the rise of online shopping and more merchandise moving around the world than ever before, the warehouse and storage industry continues to grow in importance. Common jobs in this industry include stock movers, order pickers, truck operators, and store clerks.
12. Internet publishing and broadcasting and web search portals
Number Employed (thousands): 180
White (%): 62.4
Black or African American (%): 7.8
Asian (%): 26.4
Hispanic or Latino (%): 6.7
The internet publishing industry includes internet giants such as Google, entertainment publishers like TMZ, and news sites such as BuzzFeed. This industry primarily generates revenue by selling advertising, with a smaller portion of revenue coming from subscriptions. The internet publishing industry has grown to encompass a very large portion of the U.S. economy over the past 25 years.
13. Administration of human resource programs
Number Employed (thousands): 1,038
White (%): 66.5
Black or African American (%): 21.8
Asian (%): 6.6
Hispanic or Latino (%): 16
The administration of human resource programs is an industry primarily involved in managing government-run programs that provide benefits for citizens. These include programs such as Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, welfare, food stamps, unemployment benefits, and others. Employment in this industry is composed of social workers, personal care aides, registered nurses, and other administrative professionals.
14. Animal slaughtering and processing
Number Employed (thousands): 585
White (%): 66.4
Black or African American (%): 21.9
Asian (%): 5.6
Hispanic or Latino (%): 35.3
An important step in the process of meat production, animal slaughtering and processing takes in animals that are ready to be slaughtered and prepares them for sale at wholesalers, grocery stores, and restaurants. These facilities receive animals from farms, then slaughter animals and trim or cut their parts so they are usable by food consumers further down the food production chain.
15. Shoe stores
Number Employed (thousands): 161
White (%): 67
Black or African American (%): 21.8
Asian (%): 7.4
Hispanic or Latino (%): 18
Shoe stores supply Americans with various forms of footwear, from fashionable high heels to steel-toe work boots. Most of the workers in the shoe store industry are retail sales workers who assist customers with finding the right model and size of shoe when they visit stores.
16. Nursing care facilities (skilled nursing facilities)
Number Employed (thousands): 1,663
White (%): 64.4
Black or African American (%): 27.6
Asian (%): 4.3
Hispanic or Latino (%): 12.6
Skilled nursing facilities are institutions that provide high levels of medical care to their residents. Usually, residents are inpatients at skilled nursing facilities, and these facilities provide 24-hour medical care on site. The primary workers in these facilities are nursing aides, health technicians, licensed practical and vocational nurses, registered nurses, food preparation workers, and building cleaning and maintenance personnel.
17. Electronic and precision equipment repair and maintenance
Number Employed (thousands): 150
White (%): 68.6
Black or African American (%): 12.2
Asian (%): 14.4
Hispanic or Latino (%): 18.3
The electronic and precision equipment repair and maintenance industry services a variety of equipment, including ATMs, manufacturing equipment, and cellular towers. The skills and knowledge necessary to repair this type of equipment are generally quite specialized. The most common jobs in this industry are electrical and electronic equipment installers and repairers.
18. Couriers and messengers
Number Employed (thousands): 938
White (%): 66.6
Black or African American (%): 25.1
Asian (%): 4.1
Hispanic or Latino (%): 19.5
Couriers and messengers are responsible for delivering documents and small parcels. The most well-known companies in this industry include FedEx, UPS, and DHL. The most common occupations in this industry include delivery drivers and dispatchers.
19. Wholesale electronic markets and agents and brokers
Number Employed (thousands): 79
White (%): 66.8
Black or African American (%): 6
Asian (%): 26.5
Hispanic or Latino (%): 23
Electronics wholesalers assist in facilitating the flow of electronics goods from factories into retail stores. These wholesale businesses generally buy electronics in bulk from factories, many of which are located overseas, and then resell these electronics in smaller quantities to retail stores and online retailers. Most of the jobs in this industry are in sales, while there are also a number of jobs in logistics and transportation as well.
20. Computer and peripheral equipment manufacturing
Number Employed (thousands): 174
White (%): 63.9
Black or African American (%): 4
Asian (%): 28.9
Hispanic or Latino (%): 9.8
Computer and peripherals manufacturing consists of companies that manufacture computers and complementary products, as well as computer component manufacturers. The most common occupations in this field include software developers, hardware engineers, and production engineers.
21. Air transportation
Number Employed (thousands): 656
White (%): 67.9
Black or African American (%): 20
Asian (%): 7.2
Hispanic or Latino (%): 14.1
The airline industry consists of both passenger and air cargo airlines. These airlines transport passengers and cargo all around the world, serving an important role in gluing together the economy. Flight attendants and pilots are the most common jobs in this industry, followed by reservation and ticketing agents, and baggage/cargo handlers.
22. Investigation and security services
Number Employed (thousands): 811
White (%): 66.9
Black or African American (%): 26.4
Asian (%): 3.2
Hispanic or Latino (%): 18.4
The investigation and security services industry provides private security to businesses and individuals that supplements the public safety services provided by law enforcement. Security guard is the most common job in this industry, followed by security alarm system installer.
23. Automotive equipment rental and leasing
Number Employed (thousands): 162
White (%): 67.9
Black or African American (%): 22.1
Asian (%): 6.8
Hispanic or Latino (%): 16.3
The auto rental industry provides vehicles for rent for business and leisure and provides a crucial component of the travel industry. Counter and rental clerks are the most common job in this industry, followed by drivers, cleaners, and maintenance workers.
24. Miscellaneous general merchandise stores
Number Employed (thousands): 609
White (%): 69.6
Black or African American (%): 19.1
Asian (%): 5.2
Hispanic or Latino (%): 21.1
The stores in the miscellaneous general merchandise industry generally sell a mix of goods such as apparel, dry goods, hardware, housewares, home furnishings, and groceries, without a specialization in any specific line of goods. The most common jobs in this industry include retail salespeople, cashiers, and stock clerks.
25. Residential care facilities, except skilled nursing facilities
Number Employed (thousands): 995
White (%): 67.5
Black or African American (%): 23.9
Asian (%): 4.8
Hispanic or Latino (%): 12.6
Residential care facilities are housing facilities that offer care for residents who need assistance with daily living but do not need skilled nursing. Generally, in these facilities, residents must be mentally alert, able to dress, feed, and take themselves to the toilet. Common jobs in this industry include personal care aides, food preparation workers, and cleaning and building maintenance.
Methodology
In this study, AdvisorSmith examined racial and ethnic diversity in 278 American industries. We based our analysis on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which publishes data from the Current Population Survey. This data provides the percentage of workers in each industry that identify with one of the following races: White, Black or African American, and Asian. It also provides the percentage of workers who identify with the ethnic category of Hispanic or Latino.
In this analysis, we calculated a Diversity Score for each industry based upon the ethnoracial categories. In order to calculate this score, we used a modified, weighted version of the Simpson index, which measures diversity when individuals are assigned different types.
To calculate the Diversity Score, we calculated the Simpson index for each industry by each of the three racial categories. We then weighted this value by the proportion of workers in the industry who did not identify as Hispanic or Latino. Next, we calculated the Simpson index for the proportion of workers who identified as Hispanic or Latino, and we weighted this value by the proportion of the workers who identified as Hispanic or Latino. We combined the outcome of the two calculations to find the Diversity Score for each industry.
We then ranked the industries by their Diversity Score and selected the top 25 most diverse industries for publication.
Sources
1. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey, Employed persons by detailed industry, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity
