Despite progress in the number of Jews employed in Philadelphia banks over the past five years, they are still scarce in the upper echelons. That is one of the findings of a survey conducted by the Philadelphia Chapter of the American Jewish Committee and made public today.
In 1976, there were 2,687 officers in the banks, of which 108, or four percent were Jewish. In 1981 there were 3,177 officers in the same banks, of which 145, or 4.6 percent were Jewish. However, the AJCommittee states progress has been erratic. Three banks still have no Jews in top management whereas only two banks had no Jewish high-level officers in 1976. All banks now have Jews at the vice presidential level.
According to the survey, three banks have lower percentages of Jewish officers than in 1976 while four banks have higher percentages. The figures range from a 28 percent decrease to a 350 percent increase. In total numbers, only one bank had fewer Jewish officers in 1981 than in 1976, and that was one less.
Michael Steinig, chairman of the Executive Suite Advisory Program of the AJCommittee chapter, said regarding the survey: “The rate of progress has been very good at the ‘other officer’ level and good at the vice presidential level; in top management it has been flat. The gains made previously, from four to seven, were kept, but as a percentage of the total in top management, the figure is down. The banks say they promote from within, and it has only been in the last 12 to 15 years that Jews have been accepted at entry-level management positions.” However, Steinig added, there might be some barrier to the promotion of Jews to the very top.
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