CHICAGO, June 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Professional Diversity Network, Inc. (Nasdaq:IPDN) an Internet software and services company specializing in diversity recruitment resources for corporations, government agencies and job seekers, released today its Diversity Jobs Index (DJI), intended to serve as an indicator of the employment condition for diverse Americans.  In light of the current discussion around the lack of women, Hispanics and African Americans employed in Silicon Valley, this month's DJI offers timely data points to help employers, particularly in the IT sector, critically assess and plan their ongoing diversity recruitment efforts.

"Professional Diversity Network created the DJI to demystify the employment gap and offer proven, data-driven approaches that help companies achieve their diversity recruitment goals. If it was easy, more employers would have done it by now," said Kevin Williams, chief marketing officer, Professional Diversity Network.  "We believe that companies armed with the right information and smart diversity recruitment strategies can win big – especially in growth industries like IT, healthcare and financial services."

Recent data illustrates significant disparities in the hiring of diverse professionals in the Information Technology (IT) sector across the U.S., not just in Silicon Valley.  Highlights from the May 2014 DJI include:

• Every minority group is underrepresented in the IT sector except Asians who together with Caucasians dominate the industry
• Although women and Hispanics make up over 63% of the entire workforce, with over 57% having earned bachelor's degrees, they are underrepresented in IT by a combined 14.3%
• In spite of an increased number of college educated African-Americans, unemployment rates for this group is also disproportionately higher in IT, regardless of education level

The DJI compliments Professional Diversity Network's monthly Diversity Jobs Report, which contains statistical data specific to the nation's employment situation by gender and race as well as information relevant to the employment landscape for women, veterans and disabled persons.  To review the full Diversity Jobs Report, including DJI methodology, download a free copy at http://dji.prodivnet.com/PDN-Diversity-Jobs-Report-2014-06-03.pdf.

"Based on the data from previous months, we were not surprised to find that several leading tech companies have not hired many women, Hispanics or blacks.  Fortunately, the reasons are not due to lack of qualified talent,"  Williams added.  "The good news for employers is that the challenge of identifying and hiring qualified minorities can be easily remedied when recruiting is done well.  Professional Diversity Network's sweet spot is helping organizations make a cultural shift to reap the benefits of workforce diversity."

About Professional Diversity Network, Inc.

Professional Diversity Network (PDN) develops and operates online networks dedicated to serving diverse professionals in the U.S. and providing them with access to employment opportunities. PDN offers employers who value diversity an online platform in which to identify and acquire diverse talent for their hiring needs. Headquartered in Chicago, the company owns and operates professional networking communities including: iHispano.com for Hispanic professionals, BlackCareerNetwork.com for African American professionals, WomensCareerChannel.com for women, Military2Career.com for veterans, ProAble.net for professionals with disabilities, OutProNet.com for professionals in the gay community, and AsianCareerNetwork.com for Asian professionals. For more info, visit prodivnet.com.

SOURCE Professional Diversity Network, Inc.