Diversity hiring gains speed in accounting: AICPA
Dive Brief:
- U.S. employers have expanded the diversity of new staff in accounting and finance, with the portion of Black or African American, Asian or Pacific Islander, and Hispanic or Latino hired at organizations rising to 34.8% in 2020 from 30.1% in 2018, according to the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (AICPA).
- Diversity in hiring in 2020 increased to a record level in AICPA research dating to 1971, the association said in a report on an annual survey.
- Efforts to promote diversity “are critical because we believe a workplace that is reflective and inclusive of the global communities it serves is greatly positioned to innovatively solve the complex issues facing clients and the evolving public interest,” according to Jan Taylor, a senior director and academic in residence at AICPA.
Insight:
Both industry associations and federal regulators are encouraging companies to make workforce diversity one of their top priorities.
The Business Roundtable, made up of large U.S. companies with 20 million employees and more than $9 trillion in total annual revenue, has committed to increasing diversity and providing metrics on the demographics of corporate boards, senior executives, workforces and suppliers.
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Gary Gensler has called workforce a critical asset of growing interest to investors and has asked agency staff to recommend disclosure mandates on specifics such as employee diversity, compensation and turnover.
