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Job Seekers in the New York Area Prefer Diversity in the Workplace; Job Seekers and Hiring Managers Agree that Diversity Benefits Business Performance; The Second of a Three-Part Series on Workplace Diversity

Job Seekers in the New York Area Prefer Diversity in the Workplace; Job Seekers and Hiring Managers Agree that Diversity Benefits Business Performance; The Second of a Three-Part Series on Workplace Diversity

Published 03-12-02

Submitted by New York Times, The

A majority of job seekers in the New York area prefer to work in a diverse environment, according to new research findings released by The New York Times Job Market, the print and online recruitment services offering of The New York Times advertising department.

These findings highlight the second of a three-part series of reports on workplace diversity from The Times Job Market Research, an ongoing original research study on employment trends and practices in the New York area.

Following are the responses of job seekers surveyed:

- 94% would rather work in a diverse workplace, while only 6% would rather not,
- 77% are looking for a diverse workplace in their next job,
- 76% say diversity improves the work environment, while only 7% say it worsens the environment, and
- 55% say a diverse workplace is extremely or very important to them in their job search. African American (68%) and Hispanic (67%) job seekers are more likely than Caucasian job seekers (46%) to say this.

Both hiring managers and job seekers agree that workplace diversity benefits business performance. The percentages of those who think workplace diversity helps performance are as follows:

- 71% of job seekers
- 66% of hiring managers from mid- to large-sized companies (100+ employees)
- 54% of hiring managers from small companies (fewer than 100 employees)

Nearly half (46%) of hiring managers at mid- to large-sized companies and 31% of hiring managers at small companies say increasing the level of diversity at their company would benefit business performance even more. As one hiring manager describes it, "The people who are working for us go into the communities with the same background or culture of that community." The hiring manager pointed out that employees who share the same language, culture or ethnic identity of their potential customers have a strong advantage within that community, which ultimately helps the company's bottom line. Conversely, only two percent of hiring managers and nine percent of job seekers say that workplace diversity hinders business performance.

According to hiring managers and job seekers surveyed, the following groups have benefited from increased diversity in the workplace:

.............Hiring Managers...........Job Seekers............
Women................90%....................82%
Minorities...........89%....................81%
Disabled Individuals.76%(a).................69%
Older Individuals....75%....................53%

(a) Hiring managers at companies with 100+ employees are more likely to say this (85%) about disabled individuals compared to 75% of hiring managers at companies with fewer than 100 employees.

More detailed results of this research, designed and executed by The New York Times advertising department, will be posted regularly on the Job Market page at NYTimes.com. Please e-mail any questions or comments to jobmarketresearch@nytimes.com.

The New York Times Job Market provides employers with a convenient way to reach the best talent and the broadest audience in the New York area with a single integrated advertising buy. Employers are now able to view their job listings in both the newspaper and in a searchable database online at NYTimes.com/jobmarket. The Job Market section online also includes career-related Times articles, exhaustive research on companies, a resume database and other tools designed to make the job recruitment process easier for both employers and job seekers.

In addition to other properties, The New York Times owns Professional Exchange, a leading producer of career fairs nationwide.

The New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT), a leading media company with 2001 revenues of $3.0 billion, publishes The New York Times, The Boston Globe and 16 other newspapers; owns eight network-affiliated television stations, two New York radio stations; and has more than 40 Web sites, including NYTimes.com and Boston.com. In 2002 the Company was ranked No. 1 in the publishing industry in Fortune's list of America's Most Admired Companies. Among all 530 companies on the list, the Company ranked No. 1 in quality of products/services and No. 1 in social responsibility. The Company's core purpose is to enhance society by creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news, information and entertainment.

This press release can be downloaded from www.nytco.com

New York Times, The

New York Times, The

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