55% of Apple's US Employees are White and 70% Male Across the World

[RaduTyrsina]

Apple has recently released a report on the diversity of its workforce, disclosing some interesting details. Apple is one of the latest tech firms to post such data after a growing debate on how well women and minorities are represented in Silicon Valley.

Apple’s report also contains a letter from Tim Cook, who's unhappy with the numbers, but says he's optimistic for future progress. In the United States, 55% of the employees are white, and around the world, 7 out of every 10 of Apple's employees are male. Here's what Tim Cook said in the letter:

At Apple, our 98,000 employees share a passion for products that change people’s lives, and from the very earliest days we have known that diversity is critical to our success. We believe deeply that inclusion inspires innovation.

Our definition of diversity goes far beyond the traditional categories of race, gender, and ethnicity. It includes personal qualities that usually go unmeasured, like sexual orientation, veteran status, and disabilities. Who we are, where we come from, and what we’ve experienced influence the way we perceive issues and solve problems. We believe in celebrating that diversity and investing in it.

Apple is committed to transparency, which is why we are publishing statistics about the race and gender makeup of our company. Let me say up front: As CEO, I’m not satisfied with the numbers on this page. They’re not new to us, and we’ve been working hard for quite some time to improve them. We are making progress, and we’re committed to being as innovative in advancing diversity as we are in developing our products.

Recently, several woman have been added to Apple’s upper ranks including EPA administrator Lisa Jackson, Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts, and Sue Wagner, the company’s latest board member. Have a look at this video that Apple has posted to its YouTube page on diversity, which is narrated by Denise Young-Smith, who Tim Cook recently appointed as his VP of Human Resources.

What you think of this? Are women and minorities underrepresented in Silicon Valley or this is a problem that spreads to far more areas?

Source: Apple