OREANDA-NEWS. August 29, 2016. Intel has the pleasure of joining 28 other companies in signing the White House Equal Pay Pledge, a pledge signed by over 50 companies to date. Launched at the 2015 United States of Women Summit on Women’s Equality Day, the pledge encourages U.S. companies to take action to advance equal pay and affirms the key role businesses play in reducing the pay gap.

For Intel, signing the pledge is a natural extension of its longstanding commitment to pay employees fairly and equitably at all levels of the organization.

Intel’s leaders believe in driving accountability through data. Driving real progress requires looking at the hard facts and developing strategies to close any gaps. On the issue of pay parity, Intel holds itself accountable with an annual, comprehensive audit in the U.S. that analyzes employees’ pay by gender and ethnicity. In our 2015 Annual Report, Intel disclosed that it achieved 100 percent gender pay parity. And in 2016, the company extended the analysis to look at pay data across race and ethnicities. Intel achieved 99 percent pay equity for underrepresented minorities, a gap company leaders are committed to closing by the end of the year.

Intel’s commitment to equal pay, and to diversity and inclusion, comes from its conviction that reaching a critical mass of women and underrepresented minorities in our industry brings ample benefits to many, including increased innovation and a more diverse set of thoughts and perspectives.

Today’s news provides an opportunity to join others in pledging a commitment to equal pay, and reflect on the progress that Intel has made, as well as the challenges still ahead.