Frontline Workers Feel Overlooked by Corporate Diversity Initiatives

Workers of color, overrepresented in many of these roles, see little opportunity for upward mobility.

Photographer: Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg
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Though workers of color are overrepresented in many of the lowest-paid frontline jobs, promotions generally go to White workers.

That’s according to new research by management consulting firm McKinsey & Co., which analyzed mobility for the 95 million workers in industries like retail and food service who fill hourly and salaried roles for an average annual income of $33,000. It’s not for lack of interest — while more than 70% of those employees want to move up, only 4% make the leap to corporate.