Updated Apple diversity numbers show growth in hires of black, female, and Hispanic workers

Posted:
in General Discussion edited August 2015
As promised, Apple on Thursday issued an updated diversity report, claiming that it hired the most diverse range of candidates in the past year than at any other point in its history.




Apple has hired over 11,000 women since last year's report, marking a 65 percent increase, CEO Tim Cook said in a message included with the report. The number of black recruits rose 50 percent to 2,200, while Latino/Hispanic hires were up 66 percent to 2,700.

Globally, the company spent $650 million on women- or minority-owned businesses, Cook added.

Women represented 35 percent of new hires, but still only 30 percent of the workforce.

Narrowing focus to the U.S., 19 percent of additions were Asian, 13 percent were Hispanic, and 11 percent were black. In the first six months of the year, half of U.S. hires were female, black, Hispanic, and/or Native American.

Despite this, 54 percent of Apple's American labor was white. Asians accounted for 18 percent, while Hispanics and blacks reached 11 and 8 percent respectively.

Apple has taken a number of steps to try to improve the diversity of its staff, for example by partnering with non-profit and educational programs. One example is Code2040, from which Apple is promising to recruit a dozen paid interns.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 112
    singularitysingularity Posts: 1,328member

    Good for Apple.

  • Reply 2 of 112
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,092member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post



    Globally, the company spent $650 million on women- or minority-owned businesses, Cook added.



    Apple has taken a number of steps to try to improve the diversity of its staff, for example by partnering with non-profit and educational programs. One example is Code2040, from which Apple is promising to recruit a dozen paid interns.



    Globally?  What does this mean??  Heck, Apple buys its chips from Samsung.  Isn't Samsung a "globally, minority-owned" business?



    What "steps were taken to improve diversity"??  If it means "I'm hiring you because you're not a white male", then that is as racist and discriminatory as the crap that spews out of Sharpton's mouth too.

  • Reply 3 of 112

    I work with several large companies that are attempting to meet the politically right number of minority employees.  Do you know what I find?  They put in less qualified individuals in order to meet the quota verses having a competent work force.  I am all for equal rights but to force it for the wrong reasons makes no sense.

  • Reply 4 of 112
    mike1mike1 Posts: 3,275member

    So, in other words their job postings should say "White males need not apply."

  • Reply 5 of 112
    jungmarkjungmark Posts: 6,926member
    sflocal wrote: »

    Globally?  What does this mean??  Heck, Apple buys its chips from Samsung.  Isn't Samsung a "globally, minority-owned" business?


    What "steps were taken to improve diversity"??  If it means "I'm hiring you because you're not a white male", then that is as racist and discriminatory as the crap that spews out of Sharpton's mouth too.

    Do public corporations count as they aren't owned by anyone, per se?

    No it's hiring the best candidate but giving minorities a better chance to have interviews to impress the managers.
  • Reply 6 of 112

    I think Tim said that a more diverse workforce is good for creativity. Why do we automatically assume more diversity = more creativeness? Has there ever been a scientific study that shows that? In my experience the most diverse cities in the US tend to have a lot more crime and poverty so if you look at the effects on a societal level it doesn't look good. Apple is considered one of the creative tech companies in the world and for much of its history has been made up of mostly whites and asians. Why do they suddenly need diversity?

  • Reply 7 of 112
    jungmarkjungmark Posts: 6,926member
    ralphmouth wrote: »
    I think Tim said that a more diverse workforce is good for creativity. Why do we automatically assume more diversity = more creativeness? Has there ever been a scientific study that shows that? In my experience the most diverse cities in the US tend to have a lot more crime and poverty so if you look at the effects on a societal level it doesn't look good. Apple is considered one of the creative tech companies in the world and for much of its history has been made up of mostly whites and asians. Why do they suddenly need diversity?

    More diversity doesn't mean all walks of life. But you have to admit people with different backgrounds tend to have different experiences and different resolutions to the same problem.
  • Reply 8 of 112
    knowitallknowitall Posts: 1,648member

    Despite this, 54 percent of Apple's American labor was white. Asians accounted for 18 percent, while Hispanics and blacks reached 11 and 8 percent respectively.

    According to the web:
    "White Americans are the racial majority, with a 77.7% share of the U.S. population. African Americans are the largest racial minority, amounting to 13.2% of the population. Hispanic and Latino Americans amount to 17.1% of the population, making up the largest ethnic minority."

    So, Apple should hire a lot more 'white' people (24% to be exact).
    And why is nobody mentioning the native Americans, based on historic rights they should own it all.

    By the way, reducing individuals to the color of their skin is the very essence of discrimination.
  • Reply 9 of 112
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jungmark View Post





    More diversity doesn't mean all walks of life. But you have to admit people with different backgrounds tend to have different experiences and different resolutions to the same problem.

     

    But how can diversity help with engineering - which is what designing a mobile device is - a large amount of small engineering problems. You use math and science. Does a Black person know or an Asian person or a White person know Science differently from each other?

  • Reply 10 of 112
    knowitallknowitall Posts: 1,648member
    ralphmouth wrote: »
    I think Tim said that a more diverse workforce is good for creativity. Why do we automatically assume more diversity = more creativeness? Has there ever been a scientific study that shows that? In my experience the most diverse cities in the US tend to have a lot more crime and poverty so if you look at the effects on a societal level it doesn't look good. Apple is considered one of the creative tech companies in the world and for much of its history has been made up of mostly whites and asians. Why do they suddenly need diversity?

    The point is that people should be selected on their individual quality and be the best possible candidate for the job.
    This shouldn't be biased by some color filter, no matter how well intended.
  • Reply 11 of 112
    More PC BS! This sector of the economy was the last 'golden goose' that Political Correctness did not yet affect, it was the gold standard industry in which compentency, not gender or race had touched. There were never any barriers for entry into this field, except for being very talented and devoted to IT not only as a job, but as a lifestyle! BTW- How come no female or minorities are seeking entry into the male dominated sanitation industry or construction or the other labor trades? How about the female domnated industries? When was the last time males were the majority in the Human Resources sector? Or Nursing?
  • Reply 12 of 112



    Merely nodding to PC!

  • Reply 13 of 112
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member

    Hooray! Racism and sexism are finally erased!

  • Reply 14 of 112



    Geez - ya think so?    That's the problem with PC, number, numbes and numbers!   Screw personal qualifications!   Next comes the lawsuits!

  • Reply 15 of 112
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member

    Like I said before in the other thread, a software engineering project takes a variety of different skill sets. Not everyone needs to be a genius, in fact it is better if you have some interns and entry level engineers. The team leader isn't looking for a genius to do a task like: "Open all these source files and paste in the revised legal, license and disclaimer copy." No, you get the new young person on the team to do it. People start at the bottom and work their way up as their skill set increases. The employment opportunities page is not going to say: "Geniuses only need apply." 

  • Reply 16 of 112
    jcs2305jcs2305 Posts: 1,336member
    knowitall wrote: »
    The point is that people should be selected on their individual quality and be the best possible candidate for the job.
    This shouldn't be biased by some color filter, no matter how well intended.

    Easy now. If you think that "color filter" doesn't work the other way... Meaning.... that a qualified black or other minority who is qualified and isn't hired because of color , you need to get your head out of the sand.

    It seems that the majority of comments here are making this initiative negative. Nowhere does it say that they have to fill a " quota" which som heave implied will hurt talent and creativity. Tim Cook who is a proud gay man running the largest company in the world; had his company called out on it's employee diversity, and not only is he doing something about it , but he is reporting it publicly.

    Quotas I will never agree with.. That does hurt quality and creativity, but bringing quality people in of other races can help add a different perspective and positive creativity to the products I love and use every day. I am all for that any day of the week.
  • Reply 17 of 112
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mstone View Post

     

    Like I said before in the other thread, a software engineering project takes a variety of different skill sets. Not everyone needs to be a genius, in fact it is better if you have some interns and entry level engineers. The team leader isn't looking for a genius to do a task like: "Open all these source files and paste in the revised legal, license and disclaimer copy." No, you get the new young person on the team to do it. People start at the bottom and work their way up as their skill set increases. The employment opportunities page is not going to say: "Geniuses only need apply." 




    And that's why the Federal minimum wage needs to be eliminated. Unskilled employees make no sense at $9 or $15/hr., but they might be eminently employable at $5/hr. or whatever rate the two parties can agree on. It would allow companies big and small to hire people of all skill levels and allow them to get a foot in the door. The minimum wage keeps people unemployed... the opposite of its intended effect.

  • Reply 18 of 112
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post

     



    And that's why the Federal minimum wage needs to be eliminated. Unskilled employees make no sense at $9 or $15/hr., but they might be eminently employable at $5/hr. It would allow companies big and small to hire people of all skill levels and allow them to get a foot in the door. The minimum wage keeps people unemployed... the opposite of its intended effect.




    I think the employees at Apple are all making considerably more than minimum wage, even the gardeners.

  • Reply 19 of 112
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by TechProd1gy View Post

     

     I am all for equal rights but to force it for the wrong reasons makes no sense.


    Who says it is the wrong reasons? Tim and company want racial diversity in their workforce and they usually get what they want.

  • Reply 20 of 112
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mstone View Post

     



    I think the employees at Apple are all making considerably more than minimum wage, even the gardeners.




    And they could hire even more people if the minimum wage wasn't a factor. All kinds of people. Skilled and unskilled.

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