CHICAGO, Jan. 13, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Professional Diversity Network (NASDAQ: IPDN) released its quarterly Diversity Jobs Index and Report (DJR), focusing on the contrasts between the Leisure and Hospitality sector and the Professional and Business Services sector. The quarterly report explores the overall strength of the job market in Q4 as well as the contributions of women in the labor force. The report also looks at trends among Asians, Blacks, Hispanics, the Disabled, Military Veterans and LGBT workers in the workplace.

"The year ended on a positive note for women and minorities in the workforce," said Star Jones, President of Professional Diversity Network and the National Association of Professional Women. "The contrasting characteristics of the Leisure and Hospitality industry and the Professional and Business Services sector underscore the challenges we face in closing the gender wage gap, but all-in-all, 2015 was a strong year for women and diverse employees."

Other highlights:

• A Tale of Two Sectors: Leisure and Hospitality features high minority participation and low wages, while Professional and Business Services has low minority participation and high wages. Women predominate subsets of the former, while men are disproportionately represented in the latter.
• Women are Making Strides in the Workplace: Women comprise more than 56% of the labor force, with the most representation in Accounting and Bookkeeping (63%), Legal Services (55%) and Education and Health Services (36.4%).
• Average unemployment rate decreased by 0.3% percentage points from 5.4% to 5.1% in Q4, with average unemployment falling across all affinity groups.

To download a complimentary copy of the full report, visit http://bit.ly/Q4-2015-DiversityJobReport

About Professional Diversity Network, Inc.

Professional Diversity Network (PDN) is an internet software and services company that develops and operates online professional networking communities dedicated to serving diverse professionals and employers seeking to hire Women, Minorities, Veterans, LGBT and Disabled professionals. PDN's subsidiary, the National Association of Professional Women (NAPW), is one of the largest and most-recognized networking organizations of professional women in the US, with 855,000 members representing more than 200 industries. For more information visit, www.prodivnet.com.

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SOURCE Professional Diversity Network