Diversity survey of the publishing workforce 2019
![](https://www.publishers.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Front-cover-of-Diversity-Survey-2019-1024x576.png)
The 2019 survey, the third of its kind, is based on data from over 57 publishing companies of varying sizes across academic, education and consumer publishing. Data from a total of 12,702 employees was collected, an increase in survey size of 97.5% from 2018.
The first survey results in 2017 were used as the basis for the Publishers Association’s 10-point Inclusivity Action Plan and two related five-year targets – aiming for at least 50% of leadership positions and executive-level roles to be occupied by women and 15% of publishing employees to be BAME by 2022.
Key findings include:
- 55% of senior leadership and executive-level roles were held by women (55% in senior leadership roles and 53% at executive-level).
- 13.0% of respondents identified as BAME, which is higher than last year (11.6%) but has not yet reached the 15% target.
- 10.3% of respondents identified as LGB+, significantly more than the UK population (2.0%).
- 6.6% of respondents identified as having a disability or impairment, with the majority of respondents (75.7%) either being open (33.7%) or partially open (42.0%) about it at work.
- 1 in 4 respondents (25.5%) has caring responsibilities.
- More than a quarter of respondents grew up in the South East of England (26.1%), with a further 13.9% growing up in the East of England, and 11.2% growing up in London. The North East of England had the lowest representation of all the English regions, with just 1.2% of respondents.
- 18.8% of respondents attended an independent or fee-paying school, which is almost three times higher than the UK average.
- There is a lack of representation (0.0% – 1 respondent) of those aged under 18 and low representation of those aged over 55 (8.1%), considering that by 2020, one-third of the workforce will be over 50.