According to Walmart’s 2020 Culture, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Report, the retailer hired over 480,000 new associates in the U.S. in the last year, with total people of color representing 55 percent of that number, women representing 49 percent, and Latinx representing 18 percent.
Representation at the officer level has become more diverse year-over-year, reports Walmart, with a 1 percent increase for women and a 0.6 percent increase for people of color. Additionally, Walmart remains one of the largest employers of Black and African American people, who comprise 20.7 percent of its total U.S. workforce.
To create more equitable opportunities through giving, Walmart launched a five-year $100 million philanthropic commitment to create a new Center for Racial Equity. The first $14 million in grants were announced in February. The retailer also established a five-year, $5 million commitment to the Equity in Education initiative, in collaboration with North Carolina A&T State University; this is above and beyond the commitment to the Center for Racial Equity.
“As I reflect on the past year, like so many of you, I feel the tremendous weight of an unthinkable set of challenges,” said Ben Hasan, senior vice president and global chief culture, diversity, equity, and inclusion officer, in a statement. “Very traumatic and public displays of racial injustice, against the backdrop of a global pandemic that was disproportionately impacting people of color, forced our nation to look directly into the face of the social systems that create inequity in a way many of us never had before.”
“This report details our progress to create greater racial equity across society and in our company,” Hasan continued. “While the work is multifaceted and extends across our company and into the community, there are certain themes that shine through: representation matters, education is the foundation of progress, and we’re investing in change.”
Related: Walmart Seeks Makers for Open Call Event; Walmart Transitions Supercenter to Fulfillment Center.
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