The Diversity Action Alliance (DAA), in collaboration with the Institute for Public Relations (IPR), has released its fourth Race and Ethnicity in Public Relations and Communications Benchmark Annual Report. This year’s report reflects the diversity progress of over 16,000 employees from 99 companies, including Fortune 500 communications departments and top U.S. agencies. The report's findings, reported as of January 1, 2024, highlight advancements in representation and the work still needed to achieve a more equitable industry.

Findings: Racial Diversity on the Rise

The DAA’s 2023 report shows a six-point increase in overall racial diversity in the public relations and communications sector, rising from 22% in 2019 to 28% in 2023. This growth was largely driven by a three-point increase in Latino representation. Given that nearly 20% of the U.S. population identifies as Hispanic or Latino, the increased representation reflects an important step toward improving market reach. Spanish, the country’s most common non-English language, underscores the significance of these gains.

However, while progress has been made, the report stresses that disparities persist—particularly in leadership roles. People of color often remain the only or few in their organizations, highlighting the need for continued efforts toward structural change. With people of color projected to make up over 50% of the U.S. population by 2045, these disparities must be addressed to meet the demands of an increasingly diverse society.

Leadership Representation Shows Improvement

The report also highlights a significant shift in leadership diversity. In 2019, just 7% of top communications leaders (such as CCOs, agency CEOs, and executive directors) at DAA signatory organizations were racially or ethnically diverse. By the end of 2023, that figure had more than doubled to 18%. This surpasses the 13% racial and ethnic diversity seen among CEOs of Fortune 500 and S&P 500 companies. There has also been a five-percentage point increase in diversity among communication executives over the last five years.

This progress is promising but signals that there is still much work to be done to create true equity at the top levels of the industry.

Promotion of Multicultural Employees Shows Significant Growth

Another key insight from the report is the rise in promotions for multicultural employees. The number of promotions for people of color has increased by 42% since 2019, with 27% of all promotions in 2023 going to employees of color, compared to just 19% in 2019.

The promotion trends varied across sectors:

• Boutique agencies were leaders in promoting Black, Latino, and Multiracial employees.

• Asian employees saw more advancement within the nonprofit and professional services sectors.

The Need for Continued Action

While the DAA’s report reflects progress in racial diversity within the communications and public relations fields, it emphasizes the need for more focused efforts to foster leadership diversity and sustained growth in the representation of people of color. The data serves as a valuable business intelligence tool, enabling organizations to assess their progress, identify gaps, and ensure they are not inadvertently discriminating against any group.

Carmella Glover, DAA President, commented:
"Our signatories' data serves as a critical business intelligence tool, not a quota exercise. Strong data sets enable organizations to conduct self-assessment and thorough workforce analysis, mitigating risk by ensuring organizations are not discriminating against any group while fostering healthy peer benchmarking, which can be a powerful motivator."

The DAA remains committed to tracking these metrics and providing resources to drive measurable action for diversity and equity in the public relations industry.