An NCARB/NOMA investigation has found that people of color, especially African Americans, are more likely to report issues with their architecture firm’s culture. The Firm Culture & Career Development Report is the latest analysis articulating the results of the joint NCARB/NOMA Baseline on Belonging survey investigating biases and impediments in the profession. The survey received over 5000 complete responses following its release in early 2020.

The latest report, which focused almost exclusively on candidates currently on the path to licensure, found that 24% of African American respondents had considered leaving the profession due to their firm’s culture, 14% more than their white peers. Compared to white respondents, African American respondents were also 12% less likely to say they felt as though they belonged at their firm, and 10% less likely to feel valued.

In particular, African American women were more likely to report barriers at their firm that limited their career growth. 70% of African American women could not identify with people similar to themselves in leadership positions, and were 23% less likely that their white male peers to say they were encouraged to apply for more advanced positions.

29% of all survey respondents reported either facing or witnessing discrimination in the workplace, including 40% of African American candidates and 26% of white candidates. When gender is factored into the statistics, the gap grows further, with African American women 28% more likely than white men to indicate facing or witnessing discrimination.

Race, age, and gender discrimination were the most common types of discrimination to be reported, with African American women 11% more likely that white men to report facing or witnessing racial discrimination and age discrimination. White, Asian, and African American women were also 10% more likely that white men to report facing or witnessing gender discrimination.

The report’s data suggests that firm size can impact racial disparities among licensure candidates, noting that many disparities between African American and white respondents were greater at large firms compared to mid-sized firms. In large firms, African American employees were 12% more likely than their white peers to say that diversity was a barrier to career progression, 16% more likely to face or witness discrimination, and 13% less likely to say their firm culture was diverse and inclusive.

While approximately 70% of the respondents to the NCARB/NOMA survey were on the path to licensure at the time of participating, the report also contains data on skewed benefits gained by candidates after completing the path.

White men were more likely to report receiving post-licensure benefits than their peers, with African American women 8% likely to receive a raise, 12% less likely to access new opportunities, and 16% less likely to receive a promotion. In addition, Latina candidates were the least likely of all groups to receive a raise post-licensure; 16% less likely than white men.

In response to the latest findings, NCARB and NOMA have outlined their next steps, which include “ongoing research, discussion, and action” into areas such as supporting diversity, incentivizing licensure, addressing obstacles in firm culture, combating discrimination, and addressing particular issues pertaining to larger firms.

Previous editions of the NCARB/NOMA Baseline on Belonging study have found that African American women also face heavier challenges in architectural education and that both people of color and older candidates face heavier barriers when undertaking the ARE.