Watch JUST’s Alison Omens Discuss Why Companies Committed to Racial Equity Should Be Disclosing Workforce and Board Demographics

JUST Chief Strategy Officer Alison Omens joined Andrew Ross Sorkin on CNBC’s Squawk Box Thursday morning to discuss our latest analysis of racial and ethnic board data disclosures at the 100 largest publicly traded U.S. companies, based on employee size.

Drawing from data captured in our Corporate Racial Equity Tracker, the new report looks at companies’ transparency around the demographic composition of their board of directors with a nod to how that compares to workforce demographic disclosures. “We can’t be separating these issues, saying that only having a board of directors that’s diverse is enough,” Omens said.

She pointed to momentum coming from the past year’s enhanced diversity, equity, and inclusion policies across corporate America, as well as a simultaneously growing interest from institutional investors and other groups. “The transparency of companies at the board of directors level is 83 of the 100 largest publicly traded companies in the U.S.” she said. That number marks a jump from just two years ago – when 45% of companies disclosed board demographics. “That transparency number is about 20 points higher than where companies are in terms of transparency on their workforce demographics,” Omens added.

While workforce and board leadership demographic disclosure is just one element of corporate racial equity action we’re tracking, it’s one a majority of Americans in our polling see as a marker of meaningful progress against pledges. Watch the full conversation below to learn more on why companies should integrate workforce and board demographic disclosure as part of their broader equity commitments, and how some are leading the way.