Inclusivity is not just a legal requirement; it is good business. But how can we calculate inclusiveness and which industries rank best and worst?
To shed light on the inclusivity landscape in various industries, we've analysed data that ranks industries on their inclusivity scores (out of 100).
Accommodation and food services emerged as the most inclusive industries, followed closely by information/communication and real estate.
Conversely, construction was found to be the least inclusive industry, with manufacturing and health and social work also trailing behind.
We drew upon several ONS datasets for our research. Then, each industry was scored across the following categories:
Regarding gender diversity, the construction industry emerges as the least diverse, with an estimated 87% male workforce. This lopsided gender distribution underscores the need for initiatives to attract and retain more women in construction-related roles.
On the other hand, the real estate industry is the most balanced regarding gender representation, with a nearly equal split—51% women and 49% men. This achievement sets a positive example for industries striving to bridge the gender gap.
Examining the gender pay gap across industries reveals some stark disparities.
The financial and insurance services sector reports the highest gender pay gap, a staggering 25%. This discrepancy highlights the need for financial institutions to address pay equity and equal opportunities for career advancement for all genders.
In contrast, the accommodation and food sector boasts the lowest gender pay gap, indicating that the industry is taking meaningful steps to ensure that men and women receive equal pay for equal work.
The age distribution of the workforce also varies across industries. The education, accommodation and food industries have the highest estimated percentage of 16-24-year-olds in their workforce, both at 15%.
This suggests that these industries actively engage with and employ younger generations, potentially providing valuable career growth and development opportunities.
Conversely, the transport and storage industry has the lowest estimated percentage of 16-24 year olds, with only 4% of its workforce falling into this age group.
This might indicate a need for more outreach to attract young talent to this sector.
Finally, considering disability inclusion, the arts and entertainment industry leads the way, employing the highest estimated percentage of people with disabilities at 13%. This industry's commitment to inclusion demonstrates that workplaces can be welcoming and accommodating to individuals with disabilities.
In contrast, the transport and storage industry reports the lowest estimated percentage of people with disabilities in its workforce, at just 5%. This sector has room for improvement to create a more inclusive environment for individuals with disabilities.
Diversity isn't limited to gender; it also extends to ethnicity. Unfortunately, the construction industry falls short in this regard, with a workforce that includes 0.5% fewer ethnic minority workers than White British workers. This calls for increased efforts to promote ethnic diversity in construction-related professions.
At the top of our inclusivity rankings, the accommodation and food services industry shines as a beacon of diversity and equal opportunity. This industry encompasses a wide range of businesses, from hotels and restaurants to catering services. An inclusivity score of 100.0 sets an example for other sectors to follow.
Accommodation and Food Services also ranked the industry top with the lowest gender pay gap at just 1.6%.
The information and communication industry ranks second, scoring impressively at 95.6. This sector encompasses telecommunications, media, and technology companies, which have made significant strides in embracing diversity and fostering inclusive workplaces.
Real estate, while not as inclusive as the top two, still ranks highly, scoring 86.3. This industry involves buying, selling, and managing properties and appears to be making conscious efforts to ensure a diverse workforce.
Real estate scored highly for the percentage of the workforce with disabilities (9.5%), and it's almost 50/50 split between men and women.
Administration and support services, which encompass a range of office management and support functions, also demonstrate a commitment to inclusivity, with a score of 86.0. It had a low gender pay gap of 2.8% and just 0.4% difference of ethnic minorities to White British.
The arts and entertainment industry, which includes everything from theatres and museums to music and film, rounds out the top five most inclusive industries with a score of 83.6. With the highest % of the workforce with disabilities amongst all analysed industries (13%) and a young workforce.
In stark contrast to the most inclusive industries, the construction sector lags behind significantly in terms of inclusivity, with a score of just 40.8.
Traditionally dominated by men, this industry faces a substantial gender diversity challenge. It had the highest percentage difference between men and women (75%) and a large gender pay gap of 10.2%.
Manufacturing, with a score of 52.8, is the second least inclusive industry on our list. This sector produces goods ranging from automobiles to electronics, and it struggles to achieve diversity in its workforce, with a high gender pay gap of 14.1%.
Health and social work, while critical for society, falls short in terms of inclusivity, scoring 58.5. This industry is marked by a gender imbalance, with more women than men (75.1% W/24.9% M). However, it did score highly for % of the workforce with a disability, at 10.2%.
Education, a sector dedicated to shaping future generations, surprisingly ranks low on inclusivity, scoring 59.8. Education had a high number of workers between 16 and 24 years old but was the highest industry to have more women than men, with a 90% difference.
The agriculture industry, responsible for food production, also struggles with inclusivity, scoring 64.3. Agriculture had a 49% difference between the number of men working in the industry and the number of women.
In conclusion, the inclusivity landscape in various industries is complex and multifaceted. While some sectors are making significant strides towards diversity and inclusion, others still have a long way to go. This analysis also highlighted areas where industries excel but could improve elsewhere.
Gender diversity, ethnicity, age distribution, and disability inclusion are crucial in creating inclusive workplaces. Companies in all industries must continuously assess and improve their inclusivity efforts to ensure that everyone has equal opportunities and feels valued in their workplace, regardless of their background or characteristics. We can only achieve workplaces that embrace diversity and foster inclusivity for all through concerted efforts.
We've created a comprehensive Equality & Diversity roadmap to help you navigate the compliance landscape, supported by e-learning in our Essentials Library.
We also have 100+ free compliance training aids, including assessments, best practice guides, checklists, desk aids, eBooks, games, posters, training presentations and even e-learning modules!
Finally, the SkillcastConnect community provides a unique opportunity to network with other compliance professionals in a vendor-free environment, priority access to our free online learning portal and other exclusive benefits.