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NEW Updated Data Released: The 2023 Equation for Equality Index. Read the research update and take action!

The Equation for Equality report is an original research effort backed by the Command Shift coalition that unveils a previously overlooked, viable talent pipeline of women of color ready for careers in tech. Authored by Lightcast, the report focuses on a brand new approach to sourcing, recruiting, upskilling and supporting women of color with many of the skills that overlap with tech job requirements. The findings shatter the long-held notion that there is a lack of skilled women of color ready for tech. Here’s a snapshot of our findings:

Women of color are severely underrepresented in tech jobs

Of the 4,700,000 tech workers in the U.S. today, Black, Latina and American Indian women make up only 5% (that’s 225,000).

Doubling the percentage of women of color hired into tech could put the industry at equity.

The research has identified over 2,500,000 women of color, who are considered skill-similar, tech-eligible talent. Close to 500 feasible non-tech to tech career transitions for women of color have been identified.

Command Shift has set a goal to increase the representation of women of color in tech to 10% over the next 10 years.

The Equation for Equality

There is an equation that can be used to benchmark diversity in the tech sector against this population of skill-similar, tech-eligible talent. The report uses a measure called the skill similarity score to index the overlap between job requirements (knowledge, education, skills, training) and the skills and credentials of women of color tech-eligible talent. As it stands today, 250,000 women of color would have to be hired into tech roles to fill the equality gap.

The 2023 Equation for Equality Index

Detailed key findings as a data refresh from the 2022 Equation for Equality research report (view full report below).

The Index is an urgent call to action that reinforces and reaffirms the need for the work of Command Shift to increase, advance, and retain women of color in tech.

There is still much more work to be done and progress to be made.