Ernst & Young LLP jumps to No. 3 spot on The 2009 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity® - Ernst & Young - United States

Ernst & Young LLP jumps to No. 3 spot on The 2009 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity®

New York, 13 March 2009 — Leading professional services provider Ernst & Young LLP moved into the number three spot on The 2009 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity® list, announced 12 March in New York City.

A total of 401 companies, an increase of 14% from last year, vied for the honor this year, underscoring the increasing emphasis on diversity management among progressive companies.

"Ernst & Young has moved up the list substantially this year. The reason is its clear focus on embedding diversity and inclusion in all of its global lines of business. The company's emphasis on strong talent development has paid off in a dedicated managerial/professional work force with a substantial pipeline to senior leadership," said Luke Visconti, CEO of DiversityInc.

According to DiversityInc, key factors in Ernst & Young LLP's success were its excellent mentoring program, its progressive work/life policies, benefits for same-sex domestic partners of employees, and strong employee-resource groups. Fifty percent of employees are members of these groups, which include groups for working parents and caregivers.

On hand from Ernst & Young LLP to accept was Billie Williamson, Americas Inclusiveness Officer.

"We believe diversity and inclusiveness are critical success factors as the global economy recovers from the economic crisis," noted Williamson. “We are honored to be recognized among the top companies for diversity and we will continue to work toward raising the bar at EY and throughout Corporate America."

The DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity list is a purely editorial process with no connection to business done with DiversityInc. It is determined entirely by a statistical analysis of responses to our 200-question survey. There is no fee to enter. DiversityInc Top 50 companies demonstrate consistent strength in four areas: CEO Commitment, Human Capital, Corporate and Organizational Communications, and Supplier Diversity. The list itself covers 19 industries, from consumer-facing companies to B-to-B's to industrial businesses. They range from small regional companies to global giants.

DiversityInc also compiles 11 specialty lists, which will be unveiled on www.DiversityInc.com on these dates: The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Recruitment & Retention (23 March), The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Supplier Diversity (30 March), The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for African Americans (6 April), The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Latinos (13 April), The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Asian Americans (20 April), The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for LGBT Employees (27 April), The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for People With Disabilities (4 May), The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Executive Women (11 May), The DiversityInc Top 10 Global Diversity Companies (18 May), The DiversityInc Top Utilities (26 May) and DiversityInc's 25 Noteworthy Companies (1 June).

For more detailed information on our methodology, please visit www.DiversityInc.com/top50.

About DiversityInc 
Launched in 1997, DiversityInc is the leading business publication connecting diversity and the bottom line, with 1 million unique monthly visitors. DiversityInc.com includes the largest diversity job board in the nation. DiversityInc also produces events and conducts benchmarking, custom research and consulting.

Key findings from The 2009 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity:

• In the United States, the DiversityInc Top 50 hire 41% Blacks, Latinos, Asians and American Indians, compared with the U.S. work force, which is 32% Black, Latino, Asian and American Indian (BLS)
• 25% of DiversityInc Top 50 companies' managers are Black, Latino, Asian and American Indian, compared with 17% nationwide (BLS)
• DiversityInc Top 50 boards of directors are 23% Black, Latino, Asian and American Indian, compared with 13% nationally
• DiversityInc Top 50 boards of directors are 24% female, compared with 15% nationally
• One-third more DiversityInc Top 50 chief diversity officers now report to their CEOs than four years ago (28% vs. 18%)
• 88% of DiversityInc Top 50 CEOs personally sign off on executive compensation tied directly to diversity initiatives, compared with 72% in 2005
• All of the DiversityInc Top 50 companies now have employee-resource groups for their LGBT employees, 70% have groups for employees with disabilities, and 40% have generational resource groups. DiversityInc benchmarking customers seek data on employee-resource groups more than any other subject

About Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. Worldwide, our 135,000 people are united by our shared values and an unwavering commitment to quality. We make a difference by helping our people, our clients and our wider communities achieve their potential.

For more information, please visit www.ey.com.

Ernst & Young refers to the global organization of member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients.

This news release has been issued by EYGM Limited, a member of the global Ernst & Young organization that also does not provide any services to clients.