We’re all in.

Across Apple, we’ve strengthened our long-standing commitment to making our company more inclusive and the world more just. Where every great idea can be heard. And everybody belongs.

Apple is becoming a better reflection of the world we live in.

All data as of December 2020 unless otherwise stated.
Trends account for data between 2014 and 2020.

  • The number of employees from underrepresented communities (URCs)1 has increased by 64%, or over 18,000 people, and makes up nearly 50% of Apple’s U.S. workforce.

  • The number of Black employees in the U.S. has grown by more than 50%, with a 60% increase in leadership.

  • The number of Hispanic/Latinx employees in the U.S. has grown by more than 80%, with a 90% increase in leadership.

  • The number of female employees worldwide has grown more than 70%, with an 85% increase in leadership.

In the last year, we made progress toward more inclusive leadership by bringing people into Apple and hiring from within.

Data measured between January 2020 and December 2020.

  • 43%Open leadership roles filled by people from URCs in the U.S.
  • 29%Open R&D leadership roles filled by people from URCs in the U.S.
  • 37%Open leadership roles filled by women globally
  • 26%Open R&D leadership roles filled by women globally

There’s a lot in the works. And much more work to do.

Action plans for every line of business.

Accountability measures across the company allow us to track progress and build a foundation for lasting and durable change. And we are listening to employee feedback, amplifying underrepresented voices, and taking action to meet our teams’ needs.

Holding ourselves accountable for progress.

From hiring to development and engagement, we’re making sure every part of Apple is increasing inclusion and representation.

All managers take inclusive leadership training.

Equitable, inclusive experiences for all employees begin with equipping our leaders with the resources they need. Apple’s more than 15,000 managers take training on unconscious bias and inclusive leadership. And managers are offered expert-led courses to support their ongoing education on topics including race and justice, allyship, and more.

Plans are reviewed and progress is tracked.

Inclusion and diversity measures are built into our annual review process for every leader, including those at the highest levels of the company, to create consistency in how we drive and track progress.

Employee feedback is put into action.

Our people are at the heart of our progress. Their voices and ideas drive innovation in everything we do — from informing racial justice initiatives to the inclusive benefits that support employees of all backgrounds through every life stage. Recently, people and communities across Apple have helped shape our internal inclusion and diversity strategy, the Racial Equity and Justice Initiative, and new product innovations like the Black Unity watch band.

Lajuan turns open conversations into meaningful actions.

She/her, AppleCare Regional Lead (Americas), Executive Sponsor Black@Apple

With 21 years at Apple, Lajuan leads internal phone tech support, vendor management, and regional quality organization for AppleCare in the Americas. She steps up to make inclusivity part of the Apple identity by focusing on creating equity across teams and connecting every positive intention to a deeper purpose.

quote by Lajuan
We have a global community that’s so diverse in thinking and talent. I tell my team: Be that person that takes us on another track because you’ve thought of a better way.

Building an equitable workplace takes more than one-off efforts. From roundtable series to open conversations with individuals, Lajuan is extensively involved in inclusion and diversity, including as an executive sponsor for Black@Apple at the Elk Grove campus. She stresses the value of meeting people on an individual level and inviting the unvarnished truth.

“You have to understand what other people care about if you want to effectively engage in a conversation around race, what you’re trying to accomplish, and how you want to create a more inclusive and diverse environment,” she says. “You have to know what’s important to people. You have to spend that one‑on‑one time, ask a lot of questions, and listen. It’s hard, but you have to really listen.”

Marcela helps shape diverse perspectives into great ideas.

She/her, Senior Director of Global Marketing Communications, Executive Sponsor Amigos@Apple

As a global marketing lead and co–executive sponsor of Amigos@Apple, Marcela oversees a range of projects, often moving between meetings that require vastly different thinking. Her natural inclination is to embrace differences and curate a sense of belonging within teams, a trait she attributes to the immigrant experience.

quote by Marcela
Belonging is highly important to me. Making sure that people feel like they’re a part of this and part of the work that we’re doing.

It’s powerful when people of many backgrounds work toward a common goal. Marcela says it adds a burst of energy to group dynamics. More important, she believes we need to keep seeing those varied perspectives reflected in every line and level of business.

Marcela joined Amigos@Apple in 2017, a decision that positively affected her leadership approach and brought her even closer to her Costa Rican upbringing. It was a welcome opportunity to support Latinx communities by listening, engaging, and helping propel efforts. And it’s an experience Marcela brings to everything she does at Apple.

“I think coming from a small country in Central America stays with you forever. Because you sometimes have a different mentality about life and opportunity,” she says.

Leaders with different backgrounds and shared goals.

Diverse representation in leadership is a powerful driver of progress. At Apple, leaders of all backgrounds are working to grow and develop our next generation of leaders from within.

More diverse leadership by design.

We’re committed to increasing the number of managers from underrepresented communities, with a particular focus on outreach efforts for internal and external candidates from Black and Brown communities. We know that differences in our backgrounds, identities, and the way we think make our teams stronger and more innovative.

Expanding the Apple mentorship program globally.

We started with pilot programs for team members from underrepresented communities in the U.S. and the U.K. We are actively expanding the mentorship program globally so we can offer employees the opportunity to learn from experienced Apple mentors across the company.

Support for development, from entry level to executive level.

Equal opportunity starts with equitable access to career development programs and support. From new‑hire orientation to succession planning, we’re embedding consistent processes and resources that help current leaders develop future leaders equitably.

Initiatives for enduring change in research and development.

Research and development (R&D) teams are the fastest growing at Apple. They include everyone from hardware and software engineers to audio and materials experts to machine learning and silicon specialists. R&D is also an area where, across the tech industry, diversity continues to lag.

We have several ongoing and upcoming initiatives to help break down systemic barriers and bias in research and development and beyond.

Making a difference with underrepresented communities.

In addition to Apple programs like Entrepreneur Camp, Impact Accelerator, and iOS Developer Academy, Apple partners with external organizations to support and serve people from underrepresented communities. Many of our partnerships also provide opportunities for our engineers and other employees to engage with the next generation of innovators by offering their time as mentors and volunteers.

We’re proud to engage with organizations including:

AnitaB.org, FIRST, Girls Who Code, Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), Human Rights Campaign (HRC), National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT), The Prince’s Trust, Rewriting the Code, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), Society of Women Engineers (SWE), and Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF)

Building on our work with Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

In collaboration with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, Apple offers internship opportunities to students across the 100‑plus Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) — with many transitioning to permanent roles. Now, with our partners, we are creating 100 additional scholarships for students from underrepresented communities, including engineering students from HBCUs. The Apple Scholars program includes financial support, mentorship, and career development experience.

Our $25 million contribution to the Propel Center.

We are committed to helping provide curricula, ongoing mentorship, learning support, and internship opportunities for the Propel Center. This contribution to launch the Propel Center is part of tens of millions of dollars Apple has invested in continual work with HBCUs.

Creating education equity to solve the problems of tomorrow.

The Community Education Initiative introduces coding, creativity, and app design to thousands of learners. Now, Apple and Tennessee State University are expanding the initiative’s growing list of HBCUs.

Innovation grants as part of our Racial Equity and Justice Initiative.

Apple is now offering two new grants to support HBCU engineering programs as part of our Racial Equity and Justice Initiative (REJI). Innovation Grants help HBCU colleges of engineering develop silicon and hardware engineering curricula in partnership with Apple experts. The new Faculty Fellows Program assists HBCU educators pursuing R&D with mentorship programs, curriculum development, and funds to equip lab spaces.

Community is built into our DNA.

Our internal culture is built so that everyone, in every part of Apple, feels supported, valued, connected, and empowered to do the best work of their lives. We know we are all better at what we do when we’re free to be who we are.

Building connections and understanding within Apple.

For more than 30 years, Apple employees have found community and connection in Apple’s Diversity Network Associations (DNAs). These employee‑led groups foster a culture of belonging through education, leadership development, networking, and volunteering — while also encouraging the kind of open dialogue that leads to stronger allyship across Apple. Today over 47,000 Apple employees across the globe belong to groups like Accessibility@Apple, Amigos@Apple, the Apple Asian Association, the Apple Indian Association, Black@Apple, Indigenous@Apple, Pride@Apple, and Women@Apple, and a range of faith‑based and cultural groups.

Each month, DNAs around the world lead heritage celebrations available to everyone at Apple, from global open mic events and educational sessions to time-zone-defying community conversations. Whether thought-provoking or entertaining, each experience is designed to deepen connection and understanding.

Continuing to take action for communities everywhere.

We’ll continue to speak openly about our efforts to eradicate systemic racism and injustice. We remain steadfast advocates on behalf of LGBTQ+ people because LGBTQ+ rights are human rights. We stay true to our values by acting when policies unfairly target immigrants and other communities. And we’ll always stand against prejudice in any form.

47Kemployee members of DNA groups worldwide
19 yearswith a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index

Brent brings people in and keeps cyber threats out.

He/him, Apple Information Security, Co‑chair Apple Veterans Association (AVA), Black@Apple

Brent’s comfort-zone-defying experiences have shaped his journey here. Born in Guyana and raised in New York, he’s a veteran of the United States Army who has worked in various leadership and technical roles in Afghanistan, Hawai‘i, and globally. He is also co‑chair of the Apple Veterans Association (AVA) and a Black@Apple member with over 15 years in information security.

quote by Brent
It’s hard to overstate how important a role model is, the power of having representation where you hope to be or don’t really know is a possibility for you.

Having translated his technical work in the military to Apple, Brent is determined to create more opportunity and visibility for those interested in security and tech careers. Especially for people from communities underrepresented in tech. “All types of life experiences are important for a team. Particularly in security when trying to think in the future and put yourself in the minds of others.”

It’s not only about having diverse thinkers around, but about open conversations. “Part of what makes me so comfortable at Apple is that I get great questions that demonstrate people are genuinely interested,” he says. “You know that they’re actually listening to what you’re saying as a person.”

When he’s not working with his direct team, Brent mentors students, veterans, and other people with intersectional upbringings inside and outside work.

Hiring practices with the highest standards.

True innovation takes many perspectives. To create products for everyone in the world, we need a workforce with different backgrounds and experiences. We’re making constant progress in building an Apple community that represents the diverse and ever-changing world we live in. And we’re committed to far more.

Inclusive hiring standards and processes.

We’re building more diverse interview panels and candidate slates to ensure that diversity is reflected at every stage of the hiring process.

More robust diversity recruiting efforts for R&D and leadership.

We are working to accelerate progress in diversity hiring and recruiting across technical, engineering, and leadership roles.

Expansive diversity outreach and external partnerships.

We are expanding our diversity outreach efforts, including our ties with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and other organizations that serve and engage talent from underrepresented communities.

Inclusive hiring training is required globally.

All of our hiring managers and recruiters are trained in inclusive hiring practices. These mandatory trainings help eliminate inherent biases and create an equitable hiring experience for all.

Inclusive interviewing skills for everyone involved in hiring.

Whether it’s by participating in an interview panel or filling a role as a hiring manager, bringing someone to Apple is a big responsibility. We’re making sure everyone involved in the hiring process has access to the information and resources they need to develop inclusive interviewing skills.

Pay equity for everyone at Apple. Everywhere.

Apple has a firm and long‑standing commitment to pay equity. Globally, employees of all genders earn the same when engaging in similar work with comparable experience and performance. In the United States, the same is true for employees of all races and ethnicities.

We don’t ask for salary history during the recruiting process. Our recruiters base offers on Apple employees in similar roles. And every year, we examine the compensation employees receive and ensure that we maintain pay equity.

Once again in 2020, we received a top ranking for pay equity in the technology industry by Arjuna Capital’s Gender Pay Scorecard.

T-Ray is reaching
career goals and
encouraging allyship.

All pronouns, AI/ML Administrator, Indigenous@Apple, Pride@Apple

T‑Ray has been at Apple for 10 years and spent that time learning new skills and exploring different career paths. Starting in Retail and now working in AI/ML, T‑Ray has spent time in many areas of Apple through the Career Experience (CE) program, which brings people from Retail, AppleCare, and other teams to projects across different departments.

quote by T-Ray
People change and grow, and learn new things, and become different people. And I have found that if you can communicate what you want, people here will help you get there.

Along the way, T‑Ray helped launch Indigenous@Apple to connect fellow employees and educate about Indigenous peoples. The group brings employees and allies together to celebrate cultures, amplify voices, and influence Apple’s products, business practices, and recruiting. Part of T‑Ray’s personal focus is allyship — for example, avoiding culture appropriation or simply learning how to pronounce someone’s name.

T‑Ray and community members begin chapter meetings by acknowledging the local Indigenous territory. They regularly represent Apache Indian heritage by sharing handmade beadwork and how to celebrate rich cultural traditions. T‑Ray is also two‑spirited, a gender variant with a pronounced societal role in Indigenous culture.

“Identity is so much more than just your background or your orientation or your gender. If you’ve ever studied fiber craft, thread is made of little tiny pieces, twisted and twisted and twisted until they eventually become a rope. Two‑spirited is like that. It’s pieces twisted together to make one big beautiful thing. But there are still so many pieces involved that you get to be.”

There’s work to be done to create equity for Indigenous peoples worldwide. And in bringing such endeavors to work, T‑Ray feels a rising sense of support for communities and personal progress.

Support for every career path. And career change.

Apple is a place where all people are valued for the work they do. We want everyone to flourish, so we offer many different paths to career fulfillment. We continue to take new steps to ensure that everyone at Apple has the opportunity to grow, develop, and find support.

Pathways to every kind of career at Apple.

We continue to build more opportunities into every stage of the career journey. We’ve created a growth and development framework, and we’re making more resources, networks, and companywide support available to more Apple employees, with a particular emphasis on strengthening support systems for team members from underrepresented communities.

The Career Experience program for Retail and AppleCare team members.

The Career Experience (CE) program gives Retail and AppleCare team members around the world opportunities to grow and contribute their talents to other teams across the company, from engineering to marketing and beyond. As valued members of these teams, CE participants develop new skill sets and work on a variety of projects.

Powerful resources for professional and personal growth.

Apple University offers original classes and seminars across a range of topics, developed and led by experts. These powerful learning experiences focus on building new understanding and expertise to help employees thrive at Apple. Recently we’ve expanded Apple University offerings to team members across more departments in more parts of the world, and we’ve made it easier to participate remotely. As part of our expanded educational efforts on race and inclusion, we offer a Race and Justice in America speaker series open to all. And content and conversation on the topic of inclusion are woven throughout the curriculum.

It takes all kinds of people to make our products so personal.

Everything Apple designs is for everyone.

We’ve always known that in order to create the most personal technology in the world, we must consider the full range of human experiences.

From DNA to R&D.

Apple’s DNA organizations provide insight far beyond internal culture. They also help us think about ways we can uniquely contribute to Apple’s products. For example, the Photos team approached the engineering teams about features like image color correction and how they could work well for all skin tones. This conversation led to deeper collaboration with DNA teams, which allowed the camera on iPhone, iPad, and Mac to capture more natural-looking skin tones in video calls.

Think outside the screen.

Apple accessibility engineers work hand in hand with a wide array of teams to help solve unique problems others seldom think about. For example, how does someone who’s blind or low vision know when to move forward in line at a cafe?

The answer started with the video engineering team, upon discovering a new technology called LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging). It uses a pulsed laser to “ping” nearby objects to generate a 3D model of the surrounding environment, similar to how bats or dolphins use sound pulses to “see” the world around them.

But what started as a prototype to make life more convenient became a necessity once COVID-19 hit. Our teams’ ongoing conversations with the Blind community led to a more pressing issue: How does a blind or low-vision person practice social distancing? Cross-team communication and collaboration rallied our teams so we could fast-track the LiDAR Scanner prototype. Improving lives is great, but helping to save lives is even better.

Niharika engineers Fitness+ for every body.

She/her, Watch Fitness SW Engineering Lead, Diversity in Swift

Niharika builds experiences for Apple Fitness+ and leads an engineering team. As a young South Asian woman and a former competitive tennis player, Niharika’s own context interplays with her role in helping humans live healthier.

quote by Niharika
When we started building Fitness+, we needed to build something that’s going to be accessible to everyone. I’m often thinking about the people who wouldn’t otherwise use this service and what would be exciting to them.

To bring Fitness+ to the masses, more perspectives made the magic happen. Engineers collaborated with human interface design and exercise science experts who have been shaping the fitness industry for decades. The Fitness software team, which now has more women and is increasingly international, helps people everywhere move how they want to move.

In addition to building Fitness+, Niharika and several colleagues started Diversity in Swift, a brand‑new Swift open source initiative that elevates different voices and empowers learners in computer science. She’s also working with a nonprofit to test how fitness software could benefit communities. “I’ve been most excited about how this role has helped unlock a lot of other really impactful initiatives,” Niharika says.

Chloe applies algorithms that expose inequalities.

She/her, Machine Learning Engineer at Siri Knowledge UK, Black@Apple

Chloe has a PhD in Automatic Speech Recognition and helps remove bias in the digital realm. Together with the Siri Knowledge UK team, she’s humanizing victims of racial injustice and bringing neutrality to search.

After the murder of George Floyd, Chloe thought of a way to take action and messaged her manager. Within minutes, Chloe and the team were on a call with senior managers, curators, and other engineers. The team’s idea made it so Siri Search would more accurately and respectfully present results on victims of police brutality. And Siri responses to the questions “Do Black lives matter?” and “Do all lives matter?” trended on social media and appeared in a BBC documentary.

quote by Chloe
Though it comes from a really negative situation, it opened up an opportunity to keep giving really honest feedback on our product and how Siri responds to the Black community.

Chloe’s job is also about neutrality and the challenge of implicit bias. For example, take how Siri responds to “Who is the president?” Regardless of their background or views, engineers ensure that Siri answers with male and female forms of gender‑inflected languages like French or Portuguese.

“I genuinely think about this at night. What is the responsibility of Siri Search? How do we show diverse images if a user asks for images? I think that these kinds of questions are really hard. We have to make the effort to remain neutral in these spaces but to open up our platforms so that self-education is accessible.”

Memoji is informed by a world of identities.

Memoji is just one example of inclusive design and the value of involving different perspectives in the creative process. The design team’s ongoing goal is to provide choice without bias. So Memoji gives every person every option possible, like adding a mustache and also lipstick, without ever asking narrowing questions such as what your gender is.

Building Memoji to capture nuanced aspects of identity was an intensely personal and complex challenge. It was integral that all users globally could capture and experience the characteristics that best represent them, from skin tone and hair type to age and accessories.

“It takes a village to try and build a truly inclusive human representation as a modular design system. A project like this is never done, and we are dedicated to improve, reassess, and enrich it over time.” — Nico Scapel, Designer, Apple Design Studio

From consulting with an ethnographer and a social psychologist to working with a makeup artist and a stylist, the Memoji team brought in ideas and perspectives from inside and outside the Apple network.

And it’s never ending. After every update, users reach out with valuable feedback. Some people have mentioned feeling heard and seen by the feature, or suggested options that they’d like to see. The team is constantly working to make Memoji more fluid and representative. Because Memoji is much more than an avatar. It’s an expression of personality. And what’s better than finding a hat that fits with any type of hair day?

The Apple Store keeps people connected.

Across the globe, our Apple Store team members are building strong connections to the communities they serve. They know our products inside and out — and make sure everyone feels welcome. At the same time, they’re building locally customized programs to address the needs specific to each community.

Today at Apple is global. And local.

Apple Store team members offer Today at Apple programs as a free resource for all. Each in‑store program is designed for people of all ages and backgrounds, and many are customized to meet the needs of local communities. These sessions help people get inspired, develop new skills, and start creating — for themselves or their communities.

A sense of community while staying at home.

When COVID-19 forced us to close our doors, our Retail team members got creative too. Live, in‑person sessions turned into equally lively Today at Apple at Home video sessions designed and hosted by Creative Pros from different communities.

Made in: How one team brought the unseen side of a city together.

Partnering with the mayor of London, local government, and youth organizations, the London Retail team led by Robert Spring and Ije Nwokorie created the Made in: program. It helps young people of all backgrounds explore creativity through the lens of gender, race, sexuality, and many other aspects of identity. Starting in London, it was built around focus groups, summer programs, and gallery exhibitions that provide spaces for participants’ work. And it’s now expanding to cities across the globe.

“You just need to look on social media to see the incredible creative output from young people today. Yet too many of them lack access to the support, mentoring, technology, and platforms to make the most of their talent. Which limits their career options and economic possibilities. Across all sorts of careers — not just in arts and culture but in teaching and business and much else — being able to tell stories, to use pictures and music, are real superpowers. And Apple is helping young people develop those skills.” — Ije Nwokorie, Retail Marketing

Nicolas’s experiences help him provide the best customer experiences.

He/him, Retail Lead, Co-chair Accessibility@Apple, Pride@Apple, Indigenous@Apple

Nicolas is co-chair of Accessibility@Apple ANZ and a Pride@Apple member with over a decade in Retail. He believes that bringing your whole self to work is a requisite for better outcomes and customer bonds. He loves that the Retail teams are endlessly versatile. There are people with all kinds of backgrounds and presentations, from blue hair and piercings to different ways of navigating space.

quote by Nicolas
Seeing a version of yourself matters. I strongly think that if we didn’t have all of these different people bringing all these different perspectives, we couldn’t connect with customers the way that we do.

Nicolas has spent a lot of time thinking about how one nuance can make a massive difference for a customer or coworker, whether it’s a candid conversation or a feature that enhances your life. And he’s constantly observing how his team leverages individuality to connect with customers. One of his favorite memories is seeing a colleague work with a customer who had been in an accident and could no longer make art. But with Mac, this person was able to create again.

Nicolas credits Retail’s vast perspectives, and opportunities to explore other roles at Apple through the Career Experience (CE) program, with imparting wisdom on the work and culture. “The power of Retail is having people that do different things and bring different perspectives. We shape the customer experience.”

Our work for racial equity and justice extends beyond our walls.

Apple is making internal progress. We also have an urgent responsibility to dismantle systemic racism and help grow opportunities for communities of color, particularly for the Black community. Starting with a $100 million commitment, our Racial Equity and Justice Initiative (REJI) focuses on three key areas to create lasting change: expanding access to education, advocating for criminal justice reform, and removing barriers for Black and Brown entrepreneurs.

Learn more about our Racial Equity and Justice Initiative

Where we stand today.