Women and Minorities in Commercial Aviation: A Quantitative Analysis of Data from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics

Abstract

The number of women and minorities working in aviation occupations has been very low and continues to be very low according to data from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Occupations in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) include aircraft pilots, flight engineers, aircraft mechanics and service technicians. Although the ratio of women and minorities working in these occupations remains low, data from the BLS indicates that the total number of individuals from these underrepresented groups who work in these occupations has increased in the last 2 decades. This research focuses on BLS data to determine employment trends between 2002 and 2021. Assuming that these trends continue, they can be used to predict the number of women and minorities working in these occupations in the future. This research seeks to answer 2 important questions: Is the rate of increase in women and minorities who work in these aviation occupations greater than the rate of increase for White males? If the number of women and minorities who work in these aviation occupations continues to increase at the same rate, what will the aviation workforce of the future look like? Answering these questions will help aviation industry decision makers implement programs that will help recruit and retain more women and minorities to work in these highly paid occupations. Women and minorities represent an untapped reservoir of talent that could help the aviation industry avoid a shortage of qualified pilots and service technicians.