June is Pride Month, which is a great chance to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. But, which locations in the US are the most inclusive? At Adzuna, we have conducted research to reveal which cities, states and sectors are the most inclusive for the LGBTQ+ community. For this, we analyzed over 8.3 million US job ads to identify those that specifically emphasize that jobseekers of all sexual orientations are encouraged to apply.
First, let’s take a look at most LGBTQ+ inclusive hiring cities.
1. Seattle
Percentage of LGBTQ+ inclusive job ads: 64%
Seattle is the most welcoming city in the UK for LGBTQ+ workers. The city has 99,351, which is equal to 64% of the total jobs in the city. Seattle was also the most inclusive city in 2021, and still remains more inclusive than Washington, D.C. (55%), Chicago (46%), New York (40%) and San Francisco (39%).
Vacancies in Seattle can be found here.
2. Indianapolis
Percentage of LGBTQ+ inclusive job ads: 61%
Taking the second spot on the list of most inclusive cities is Indianapolis. The city has a total of 49,938 job ads explicitly stating that LGBTQ+ applicants are welcome. This is equivalent to 61% of all jobs in the city.
Check out jobs in Indianapolis.
3. Detroit
Percentage of LGBTQ+ inclusive job ads: 60%
The Michigan city of Detroit is the third most LGBTQ+ friendly city in the US. 60% of all job ads in the city stating that they are open to LGBTQ+ applicants. This is equal to 60,944 jobs.
Why not check out jobs in Detroit?
4. Salt Lake City
Percentage of LGBTQ+ inclusive job ads: 56%
56% of all job ads in Salt Lake City state their inclusivity to LGBTQ+ applicants, making it the fourth most inclusive city in the US. This means that there are a total of 28,939 LGBTQ+ friendly jobs in the Utah city.
Jobs in Salt Lake City can be found here.
5. Washington D.C.
Percentage of LGBTQ+ inclusive job ads: 55%
The capital city sneaks into the top five most LGBTQ+ friendly cities in the US. In total, 55% of job ads in the city state their inclusivity to members of the LGBTQ+ community, which is equal to 116,243 jobs.
Looking for a job in Washington D.C.? Explore vacancies here.
But, which states are the most inclusive?
1. Alaska
Percentage of LGBTQ+ inclusive job ads: 54%
Alaska takes the top spot for the most inclusive state. In total, 54% of Alaska’s job ads are LGBTQ+ friendly, which is equal to 13,142 jobs. To compare, in May 2021, just 33% of Alaska’s job ads were explicitly LGBTQ+ friendly. This is a yearly change of a pretty impressive 20%.
Check out vacancies in Alaska here.
2. Wyoming
Percentage of LGBTQ+ inclusive job ads: 50%
With half of all jobs in the state advertising that they are LGBTQ+ friendly, Wyoming is the second most inclusive state. In 2021, Wyoming saw 30% of job ads advertising that they are LGBTQ+ friendly. This is a year on year change of 20%.
Vacancies in Wyoming can be found here.
3. Delaware
Percentage of LGBTQ+ inclusive job ads: 48%
Delaware is the next most inclusive state, with 48% of job ads being LGBTQ+ friendly. The state also experienced one of the highest year on year changes. In 2021, 25.8% of Delaware job ads stated that they were welcoming to LGBTQ+ applicants. This is a pretty large year on year increase of 22%.
Delaware vacancies can be found here.
4. Vermont
Percentage of LGBTQ+ inclusive job ads: 47%
Vermont takes the next spot of the list of most inclusive states. 47% of all jobs in Vermont advertised that they are LGBTQ+. In a similar way to the other states in the list, Vermont saw a large year on year increase of 20%. In 2021, just 27% of Vermont jobs advertised their openness to LGBTQ+ applicants.
Check out vacancies in Vermont here.
5. Rhode Island
Percentage of LGBTQ+ inclusive job ads: 47%
Rhode Island takes the final spot on the top five most LGBTQ+ friendly states. 47% of job ads in Rhode Island are openly LGBTQ+ friendly. However, unlike the other states on the list, Rhode Island has not seen a dramatic increase from 2021. In 2021, the state saw 42% of jobs advertising that they were LGBTQ+ friendly. This is an increase of just 5% from last year.
Rhode Island vacancies can be found here.
Not all states are doing so well. Those that still need to improve inclusivity are Florida (25%), Texas (24%) and Iowa (23%). Florida in particular has been scrutinized for their attitude towards the LGBTQ+ community. Recently, the state’s senator has signed a bill aimed at restricting schools in Florida from teaching students about sexual orientation and gender issues. Any teachers who fail to comply with this legislation may face a lawsuit. This suggests that although many states are progressing towards a more equal society, many states still have a lot of work to do.
Which sector is the most inclusive?
With 65% of job ads (73,596 jobs) actively promoting diversity in the workplace, consultancy is the most LGBTQ+ friendly sector. IT is the second most inclusive industry with 61% of the sector’s vacancies advertising inclusivity. Since 2021, the sector has seen an 18% increase in inclusive job ads. HR & Recruitment follows this, with 58% actively promoting diversity.
Table 1: Top 10 Most LGBTQ+ Inclusive Hiring Sectors in the U.S.
| Sector | Total LGBTQ+ Inclusive Job Ads, May ‘22 | % of LGBTQ+ Inclusive Job Ads, May ‘22 |
|---|---|---|
| Consultancy | 73,596 | 65.0% |
| IT | 661,146 | 60.6% |
| HR & Recruitment | 75,140 | 57.6% |
| Engineering | 249,112 | 48.9% |
| Accounting & Finance | 159,882 | 48.2% |
| Sales | 128,844 | 29.4% |
| Healthcare & Nursing | 332,348 | 27.7% |
| Logistics & Warehouse | 139,978 | 19.5% |
| Hospitality & Catering | 115,495 | 15.6% |
| Retail | 81,578 | 14.2% |
Most LGBTQ+ friendly companies
There are some big company names that are openly LGBTQ+ friendly. Oracle currently has the most LGBTQ+ inclusive job ads, sitting at 89,664. The next most friendly company in the US is Amazon, with 69,905 job ads stating that they are LGBTQ+ friendly. Other companies that feature on the list are Deloitte, UnitedHealth Group, and PwC.
Tips for checking if an employer is LGBTQ+ inclusive
- Look for a statement of support – Job ads are a great place to start. Many employers encourage applications from diverse candidates via a short written statement. Others may have diversity and inclusion statements published on their websites or career pages.
- Check their social media profiles – Check out a company’s LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and look to see if they’re talking about events like Pride on their social media channels. The most inclusive employers make an effort to celebrate big events in the calendar publicly, whether that’s by talking to their own LGBTQ+ communities, organizing their own Pride celebrations, or in other ways.
- Ask if they have a LGBTQ+ champion – If the answer is yes, this could be a great person to answer any questions you may have around company culture.
- Scrutinize HR policy – You can tell a lot from how a company words their policies and whether they use gender neutral language, (e.g. partner, parent or spouse over wife or father) and if they include policies such as adoption leave.
And most importantly – trust your gut. It’s so important to choose an employer where you will be happy, accepted, and able to be yourself.
It’s great to see some large year on year increases in LGBTQ+ friendly job ads in various states and cities. This does suggest a shift towards a more equal society. However, it should be emphasized that all jobs should be LGBTQ+ friendly and should make it clear that they are. By doing this, members of the LGBTQ+ community will feel welcomed and valued within the corporate world.
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