Knowledge Center

United States

Labor Force

• In 2012, 24.2% of jobs in the Motor Vehicles and Motor Vehicles Equipment Manufacturing industry were held by women.1
• In 2012, women made up:
  • 1.8% of automotive body and related repairers,2
  • 1.2% of automotive service technicians and mechanics.3

• Volvo is one of a few motor companies that have had a women-majority team (80%) design a car (a concept car).4
• Women are approximately 30% of the global design staff for BMW, and 20% of the design staff at GM.5

Women in Auto Management

• Percentage of women corporate officers in the Motor Vehicle and Parts industry: 11.5% (37 of 321);6 this is up from 11.2% (39 of 349) in 2002,7 and 7.5% (25/332) in 1998.8
• Percentage of women on the boards of directors in the Motor Vehicle and Parts industry: 12.4% (23/186);9 this is up from 8.4% (20 out of 239) in 200110 and 9.5% (13 out of 137) in 1998.11

Dealerships and Sales

• According to CNW Marketing Research, women-owned dealerships were just 2.8% of all dealerships.12
• In 2010, women were 13.0% of all Sales Workers in the Motor Vehicle Manufacturing Industry.13
• Women made up nearly 19.7% of all employees at automobile dealers, and 17.3% of all employees at other motor vehicle dealers in 2012.14

Work-Life in the Automotive Industry

• According to a 2010 survey done by Deloitte, 56% of respondents reported that their companies do not have active recruitment programs targeting women.15
• In the same survey, 40% of women complained in regards to their companies’ cultures concerning family commitments. 28% said the industry is “less than accepting” of family commitments.16
• Furthermore, 20% of the survey respondents stated that their company’s efforts in the retention of women were “below average” or “poor,” but 32% stated that these efforts were “above average.”17

Women’s Influence in the Industry

• In 2010, CNW Marketing Research found at 47.3% of women car shoppers prefer women dealers, while 38.5% have no preference.18
• Women made up 44.1% of primary vehicle buyers in 2010, compared to 19.5% in 1990.19

Canada

Europe

• In 2010, one-fifth of the automotive industry in Europe was comprised of women.20
• Women tend to occupy lower qualified and lesser paid jobs, but equality issues do not appear to be of concern nor are they well researched in the European automotive industry.21

How to cite this product: Catalyst. Catalyst Quick Take: Women in the Automotive Industry. New York: Catalyst, 2013.

• 1. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, "Table 18: Employed Persons by Detailed Industry, Sex, Race, and Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity, 2012," Annual Averages 2012 (2013).
• 2. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, "Table 11: Employed Persons by Detailed Occupation, Sex, Race, and Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity, 2012" Annual Averages 2012 (2013).
• 3. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, "Table 11: Employed Persons by Detailed Occupation, Sex, Race, and Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity, 2012" Annual Averages 2012 (2013).
• 4. Noelle Knox, "Volvo Teams up to Build What Women Want," USA TODAY (December 16, 2003).
• 5. Stuart Schwartzapfel, "Automotive ‘Damsels of Design’ Moving to Driver’s Seat," Wired (July 9, 2010).
• 6. Catalyst, 2005 Catalyst Census of Women Corporate Officers and Top Earners of the Fortune 500 (2006).
• 7. Catalyst, 2002 Catalyst Census of Women Corporate Officers and Top Earners of the Fortune 500 (2002).
• 8. Catalyst, 1998 Catalyst Census of Women Corporate Officers and Top Earners (1998).
• 9. Catalyst, 2005 Catalyst Census of Women Board Directors (2006).
• 10. Catalyst, 2001 Catalyst Census of Women Board Directors (2001).
• 11. Catalyst, 1998 Catalyst Census: Women Board Directors of the Fortune 500 (1998).
• 12. CNW Marketing Research, unpublished data (2011).
• 13. EEOC, "2010 EEO-1 National Aggregate Report by NAICS-4 Code: 3361 - Motor Vehicle Manufacturing," Job Patterns for Minorities and Women in Private Industry 2010.
• 14. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, "Table 18: Employed Persons by Detailed Industry, Sex, Race, and Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity, 2012," Annual Averages 2012 (2013).
• 15. Deloitte, Women at the Wheel 2010 (2011).
• 16. Deloitte, Women at the Wheel 2010 (2011).
• 17. Deloitte, Women at the Wheel 2010 (2011).
• 18. CNW Marketing Research, unpublished data (2011).
• 19. CNW Marketing Research, unpublished data (2011).
• 20. Andre Martinuzzi, Robert Kudlak, Claus Faber, Adele Wiman, "CSR Activities and Impacts of the Automotive Sector," (2011).
• 21. Andre Martinuzzi, Robert Kudlak, Claus Faber, Adele Wiman, "CSR Activities and Impacts of the Automotive Sector," (2011).