Millennials and Diversity and Inclusion- Mikayla Sequeira
As Millennials have started entering the work force, they have been incredibly passionate about diversity and inclusion. It is time for the workplace to be accepting for all races, ages, genders, ethnicities, classes, religions, sexualities, and capabilities.
Are millennials actually in the workforce already?
According to the Pew Research Center, Millennials became the largest generation in the labor force in 2016. There were almost no millennials in the work force until about 2000 due to that generation being far too young to work. However, since then, millennials have been entering the workforce at a strong and steady incline, passing all other generations in the work force. This statistic is incredibly strong in its capabilities to shut down the stereotypes older generations have set for millennials that say that they are lazy, do not work, and expect the world to hand them wealth and success (Fry).
This is the graph in which Pew Research presented the workforce generational data:
This data was presented in April 2018, and it can be assumed that millennials have continued their incline since then. At the time, "More than one-in-three American labor force participants (35%) [we]re Millennials...As of 2017 – the most recent year for which data are available – 56 million Millennials (those ages 21 to 36 in 2017) were working or looking for work" (Fry).
As far as the generation after Millennials, who are often grouped in with the Millennials lazy stereotype, "...the oldest members of the post-Millennial generation (those born after 1996) are now of working age. Last year, 9 million post-Millennials (those who have reached working age, 16 to 20) were employed or looking for work, comprising 5% of the labor force" (Fry).
Why millennials care about diversity and inclusion:
Changing mindsets about diversity and inclusion, specifically race:
With millennials entering the workforce, many people have realized that being "color blind" is incredibly dangerous. In reality, nobody can be "color blind." Everybody does see race. Everybody does notice when someone different walks in the room. What they do with that information from there is what really matters. According to Mellody Hodson in the following Ted Talk, being "color brave" is the answer (Hodson).
With millennials entering the workforce, many people have realized that being "color blind" is incredibly dangerous. In reality, nobody can be "color blind." Everybody does see race. Everybody does notice when someone different walks in the room. What they do with that information from there is what really matters. According to Mellody Hodson in the following Ted Talk, being "color brave" is the answer (Hodson).
Mellody Hodson: "Color Blind or Color Brave?"
(Hodson)
Reasons millennials fight for diversity and inclusion in the workforce:
(by Mikayla Sequeira)
As millennials have started entering the work force, have they had any real influence in the work force?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, they have.
Diversity in capabilities:
Just from 2017 to 2018, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that:
"The employment-population ratio for persons with a disability increased from 18.7 percent in 2017 to 19.1 percent in 2018. The ratio for those without a disability, at 65.9 percent, edged up in 2018. The lower ratio among persons with a disability reflects, in part, the older age profile of persons with a disability; older workers are less likely to be employed regardless of disability status. However, across all age groups, persons with a disability were much less likely to be employed than those with no disability"(Labor).
"Among persons ages 16 to 64, employment-population ratios rose for both persons with a disability (30.4 percent) and persons without a disability (74.0 percent) in 2018. The ratios for persons age 65 and older with a disability (7.4 percent) and without a disability (23.6 percent) were little changed from the previous year"(Labor).
Diversity in race:
Based on the following graph from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, it seems that employment numbers for each race are rising while unemployment numbers and rates are decreasing, even in just one year, from 2017 to 2018 (Labor).
(Labor)
Diversity in gender:
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the following chart, there is a slow and steady increase of women's earnings matching up to men's. However, in 2017, women were still only making about 81.1% of men's wages (Labor).
(Labor).
This chart from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the intersectionality of race with gender and the disparities in the earnings between all of the major races and genders. Women are still making much less than men, and each race has very different earnings, showing a lack of equality among all people (Labor).
Conclusion:
It is very clear that millennials are entering the workforce, are wanting change, and are making change. Millennials are now the largest generation in the labor market, and they want change for more diverse and inclusive working environments. They have so many valid reasons for wanting diversity and inclusion, and these changes will only lead to good results for organizations. As millennials have started, slowly but surely, becoming the largest generation in the workforce, more and more changes have been made in the direction of diversity and inclusion. Let us join the millennials and change the world!
Works Cited
“Diversity and Inclusion in Today's Business: Is Your Organization a Reflection of Your Values?” Internal Auditor, vol. 74, no. 5, Oct. 2017, pp. 64–65. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=128494766&site=eds-live&scope=site.
Fry, Richard. "Millennials are the largest generation in the U.S. labor force." Pew Research Center. Pub April 2018. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/04/11/millennials-largest-generation-us-labor-force/
Henderson, Geraldine Rosa, and Jerome D. Williams. “From Exclusion to Inclusion: An Introduction to the Special Issue on Marketplace Diversity and Inclusion.” Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, vol. 32, May 2013, p. 1. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edb&AN=87372209&site=eds-live&scope=site. Ng, Eddy S., and Nick Rumens.
Hodson, Mellody. "Color Blind or Color Brave?" Ted. Youtube. Pub. May 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKtALHe3Y9Q
“Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey.” Bureau of Labor Statistics. Pub. 2 August 2019. https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/disabl.pdf
Ohunakin, Folakemi, et al. "The Effects of Diversity Management and Inclusion on Organizational Outcomes: A Case of Multinational Corporation." Business: Theory and Practice 20 (2019): 93+. Business Insights: Essentials. Web. 2 Aug. 2019. http://bi.galegroup.com.library.smcvt.edu/essentials/article/GALE|A582693730/21704dc882c658d0d46635f0d71ef2d7?u=vol_b92stm
Rasool, Adil, et al. “Diversity and Its Impact on Employee Satisfaction and Performance.” CLEAR International Journal of Research in Commerce & Management, vol. 9, no. 7, July 2018, p. 12. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edb&AN=131623676&site=eds-live&scope=site.
"Why Prioritize Diversity in the Workplace." Newsroom. Bentley University. Pub May 2018. https://www.bentley.edu/news/why-prioritize-diversity-workplace
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