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With more than 200,000 employees across 63 countries, AT&T is one of the largest U.S.-based private employers. In 2021 we maintained a diverse workforce despite the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing societal polarization and corporate transformation.

Overall, women make up 33% of our global workforce, a percentage that compares favorably to the average across companies in our industry. While the number of women in our U.S. frontline jobs decreased in 2021, representation of women in senior leadership positions increased. The percentage of diversity in our U.S. workforce increased to 47% last year, driven by employees in frontline and management positions. While we still have an opportunity to improve diversity at the senior leadership level, overall the representation of people of color in our workforce significantly exceeds that of other telecommunications companies.

Beyond race and gender, our employees represent a wide mix of generations, identities, abilities and experiences. This collective strength is the driving force behind our active Employee Networks (ENs) and Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). Along with advancing the professional development of their members, in 2021 our ENs and ERGs volunteered nearly 132,000 hours of their time and donated nearly $21 million in support of causes they champion – acts of service we recognized with the Excellence in Action Impact Awards at our 2021 Employee Group Conference.

In 2021 we also expanded our diversity dialogue to include faith with the launch of our new Employee Resource Group, Faith@Work. Co-founded by a Jewish employee and a Muslim employee, Faith@Work is committed to bringing together people of all faiths (or no faith at all) to learn more about different religions, collaborate on community engagement and increase understanding and respect for all expressions of religious belief.

To build a diverse and inclusive workforce, we prioritize recruiting and hiring talented people who reflect the world in which we live and work. In 2021, we collaborated with Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), sponsored conferences, completed benchmarking surveys, and supported organizations and initiatives committed to providing an equal opportunity for all. When you look at the results, the extra effort was all worth it.

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The COVID-19 pandemic affected vulnerable populations disproportionally, despite positive digital participation outcomes for people worldwide. AT&T provided access to resources and services to communities experiencing challenges. Through volunteerism, philanthropy, and community partnerships, we use the AT&T brand to design a future where everyone has the opportunity to succeed.

In 2021 we continued to support LGBTQ+ rights and equal justice reforms, and also focused our efforts on helping to bridge the digital divide, which is the gap between those that have access to the connectivity, digital resources and skills they need to benefit from the online world and those that don’t. As a media and telecommunications company, we understand that while new technologies can create growth and opportunity, they can also heighten economic inequalities and sharpen social divisions. That’s why we made a commitment to invest $2 billion over the next three years to help bridge the digital divide for unconnected Americans, including residents of rural and underserved communities.

By expanding broadband networks, donating computers and providing free digital learning resources, we’re helping to close the homework gap and positively impact the lives of people living in underserved, underrepresented or low-income communities.

While closing the digital divide will require significant capital investment and close collaboration between the public and private sectors, CEO John Stankey noted that, “…the economic and social benefits of narrowing the digital divide will more than pay for itself.”

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AT&T’s customer base is multinational and multicultural – as diverse as the world itself. We strive to keep our customers’ needs at the center of everything we do, whether it’s interacting with them in their preferred language or ensuring they are positively represented in our marketing and advertising.

Last year, we continued to celebrate and connect with the communities we serve with customer initiatives like A Ti Y A Ti, Turn Up the Love and Dream in Black. These initiatives celebrate the diversity of our customers and address the unique interests of the Native American, Hispanic/Latino, LGBTQ+ and Black communities.

As the personal impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic reverberated into 2021, we responded to emerging customer needs with a new hotline service to help combat the mental health crisis in America. We also addressed the continuing economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic with affordable connectivity plans like the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program and the Affordable Connectivity Program.

By recognizing our customers for who they are, we are committed to keeping them connected to what matters to them most.

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We’re proud to be one of the first U.S. corporations to have a Supplier Diversity program. Launched in 1968 during a period of civil unrest, this program sought to alleviate the economic disparities many diverse businesses encountered at that time. Over the years our goal has remained simple: connect diverse businesses with opportunities to provide products and services to AT&T globally.

In 2021, AT&T spent $13.3 billion with certified diverse businesses, exceeding our 21.5% goal.^* We also surpassed a $3 billion commitment to drive diversity, equity and inclusion across our business and the communities where we live and work by spending $3 billion with Black-owned suppliers. Through our continued commitment to our supplier outreach and development programs, we now have more than 20,000 suppliers around the world, representing the wide range of trades we engage with across our operating units.

Beyond the companies we do business with, AT&T’s Supplier Diversity program seeks to make meaningful and measurable contributions to the economic growth of diverse companies and communities. To that end, DE&I performance is a key component of AT&T Supplier Diversity strategy. In 2021, our supplier spend contributed directly to supporting over 400,000 diverse jobs with our suppliers and their subcontractors - 190,000 jobs for people of color and 220,000 jobs for women.^**

With $214 billion spent with diverse suppliers over the past 53 years, we remain committed to creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive supply chain because we know it makes us a stronger company.

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