POPULATION
One in Five Americans Is a Woman of Color 1
Women of color comprised 20.3% of the United States population in 2019, an increase from 18.4% in 2010.2
Women of Color Will Be the Majority of All Women in the United States by 2060 3
| Percentage of Total Women in US Population (2019) | Percentage of Total Women in US Population (2060) | |
| White (not Hispanic or Latina) | 60.0% | 44.3% |
| Hispanic or Latina | 18.0% | 27.0% |
| Black or African American | 12.9% | 15.2% |
| Asian | 5.0% | 9.5% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native |
0.7% | 1.4% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 0.2% | 0.3% |
EDUCATION
The College Graduation Rate Continues to Rise for Most Women of Color 4
Of total bachelor’s degrees earned by US citizen women and permanent residents in 2018-2019, the percentage of those earned by women of color: 5
- Hispanic women: 15.7%.
- Black women: 11.4% (this percentage has continued to decrease since its high of 12.3% in 2011-12).
- Asian/Pacific Islander women: 7.7%.
- American Indian/Alaska Native: 0.5%.
Of total bachelor’s degrees in business earned by women in 2018-2019, the percentage of those earned by women of color: 6
- Black women: 11.5%.
- Hispanic women: 14.3%.
- Asian/Pacific Islander women: 8.3%.
- American Indian/Alaska Native: 0.5%.
LABOR FORCE
Latinas and Asian Women Will Make Up a Larger Percentage of the US Labor Force Over the Next Decade 7
Between 2020–2030 the projected percentage increase in the labor force of women by race or ethnicity: 8
- Black women: 10.2%.
- Hispanic women: 26.1%.
- White women: 3.8%.
Percent of women of color among all US management, business, and financial operations employees in 2020:9
- Asian women: 18.8%.
- Black women: 14.2%.
- Hispanic or Latinas: 12.4%.
- White women: 18.1%.
Despite This Increase, US Workplaces Struggle to Retain Women of Color Professionals10
According to a 2021 survey, one-third of women of color who were currently employed planned to leave their employers in the next year.11
Top reasons women considered leaving include:
- Burnout: 51%.
- Different Career/Greater Purpose: 47%.
- Salary and Benefits: 47%.
Whether In the Home or in the Workplace, Women of Color Have Been Disproportionately Affected by the Covid Pandemic12
Women of color are overrepresented in the industries most harshly impacted by job losses during the pandemic13:
- Accommodations and Food Services Industry: 24.3%
- Health and Social Assistance Industry: 30.3%
Women of color are more likely than white women to be the sole or primary breadwinner in their household.14
In the beginning of 2021, women of color represented 17% of entry-level positions. Few advanced to leadership positions: managers (12%), senior managers/directors (9%), VPs (7%), SVPs (5%), and C-suite positions. (4%) 16
While White women held 32.6% of total management positions in the US in 2021, women of color held a much smaller share:17
DEFINITION: The U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requires federal agencies to use a minimum of five race categories: White, Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. Note that Hispanic is defined as an ethnic heritage and people who identify their origin as Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish may be any race.18
NOTE: Hispanic or Latino refers to persons of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race. 19
How to cite this product: Women of color in the United States: Quick Take. (2022, January 31). Catalyst.
LEADERSHIP
From Entry Level Positions to the C-Suite, the Share of Women of Color in Leadership Remains Small15
LEARN MORE
Frye, J. (2020). On the frontlines at work and at home: the disproportionate economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic on women of color. American Progress.