Google Releases Employee Data, Illustrating Tech’s Diversity Challenge

bits blogs ^ | 28 May 2014 | Claire Cain Miller

[Cronos]

Google on Wednesday released statistics on the makeup of its work force,

Thirty percent of Google’s 46,170 employees worldwide are women, the company said, and 17 percent of its technical employees are women. Comparatively, 47 percent of the total work force in the United States is women and 20 percent of software developers are women, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Of its United States employees, 61 percent are white, 2 percent are black and 3 percent are Hispanic. About one-third are Asian — well above the national average — and 4 percent are of two or more races. Of Google’s technical staff, 60 percent are white, 1 percent are black, 2 percent are Hispanic, 34 percent are Asian and 3 percent are of two or more races.

..Google’s disclosures come amid an escalating debate over the lack of diversity in the tech industry. Although tech is a key driver of the economy and makes products that many Americans use ever yday, it does not come close to reflecting the demographics of the country — in terms of sex, age or race. The lopsided numbers persist among engineers, founders and boards of directors.

The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr., the civil rights activist, has been pressuring tech companies to release data on the makeup of their workforces

... only 18.5 percent of high school students who took the Advanced Placement exam in computer science last year were girls. In eight states, no Hispanic students took the test and in 12 states, no black students took it.

Yet some of the blame also falls on tech companies. There can be a sexist culture that turns away women, as evidenced by the high attrition rate among technical women as compared to men.

[staytrue]

“Just yesterday, I told my Asian CEO friend that we will export to his country two “Amish” for one Asian he sends over here. No limit. :-)”

That is pretty racist of you.

Personally, I would export 1 amish for two asians and that would still be a good deal.

[staytrue]

“Google is systematically denying Blacks the opportunity to work in I.T. “

Also California farmers are denying Blacks the opportunity to work picking strawberries.

Where is Jesse Jackson on this issue ?

[theBuckwheat]

Just what, exactly, is meant by “diversity”? Judging from Google’s reluctance to recognize Memorial Day compared to how grandly they reminded every visitor of Rachael Carson’s 107th birthday, it seems that Google has a diversity problem in management when it comes to its overwhelmingly liberal workforce. They expressed contrition that only 2% of their workforce is black, but what percent of those blacks are conservative? I want to know what concrete steps they are taking to increase the number of black conservative employees.

[When do we get liberated?]

And assuming you are trading by weight, it is more fair.

[ottbmare]

No one is standing at the entrances to universities with firehoses and German shepherds to prevent black and Hispanic young people from studying tech fields. On the contrary, they are actively courted.