COLUMBUS, Ga., July 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Black Enterprise magazine applauded Aflac's outstanding achievements in workplace diversity for the fourth consecutive year on the 40 Best Companies for Diversity listing. This recognition highlights the well-branded insurer's remarkable minority representation in senior management and overall employee base.

It is an honor to be recognized as one of the top companies for diversity. This recognition is a testament to our workforce's commitment to respecting and valuing not only diverse cultures but varying perspectives and viewpoints as well, stated Dan Amos, Aflac's chairman and CEO.

The publication gathered and compiled diversity information on more than 1,000 of the nation's publicly traded companies and 50 leading global companies with a large presence in the United States. Then they evaluated and performed quantitative assessments of all corporate respondents in each survey category of workforce, management, advertising, and board and vendor diversity. From these findings, the top 40 companies were chosen.

This is the fourth consecutive year that AFLAC has been ranked among our top companies for diversity, said BLACK ENTERPRISE Editorial Director Sonia Alleyne. They have consistently demonstrated their commitment to a diverse workforce and understand the importance of developing and promoting minorities as a business imperative. We congratulate them on continuing to be among our best.

Aflac champions diversity through its employee makeup and supplier diversity outreach. Currently, the insurer's workforce is comprised of 41 percent minorities with 66 percent women rounding out the company's multicultural landscape. In 2007, minorities accounted for more than 38 percent of new hires and nearly 50 percent of management positions are held by minorities. In addition, Aflac has surpassed the $100 million mark in spending with minority- and women-owned companies.

Because we value the opinion of our workforce, we regularly seek employee feedback to determine their satisfaction level on educational programs and classes we offer on diversity training, said Brenda Mullins, second vice president and diversity officer for Aflac Human Resources. Aflac's annual Diversity Day celebration continues to be a favorite among employees because it presents an open environment that initiates dialogue between our workforce and the community.

Earlier this year, Aflac was also recognized as a leader in corporate diversity by Hispanic Enterprise magazine. The publication listed Aflac as a Top 50 Corporation for Supplier Diversity.

Black Enterprise magazine will feature the complete report on the best companies for diversity, including methodology and selection criteria, in the July issue of the publication. It will be available on newsstands July 1.

About Black Enterprise

Black Enterprise magazine is the premier publication for African-American business owners to seek out the latest information on money management, career development and business practices.

About Aflac

For more than 50 years, Aflac products have given policyholders the opportunity to direct cash where it is needed most when a life-interrupting medical event causes financial challenges. Aflac is the number one provider of guaranteed-renewable insurance in the United States and the number one insurance company in terms of individual insurance policies in force in Japan. Its insurance products provide protection to more than 40 million people worldwide. Aflac has been included in Fortune magazine's listing of America's Most Admired Companies for seven years and in Fortune magazine's list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America for ten consecutive years. Aflac also has been recognized three times by both Fortune magazine's listing of the Top 50 Employers for Minorities and Working Mother magazine's listing of the 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers. Aflac Incorporated is a Fortune 500 company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AFL. To find out more about Aflac, visit www.aflac.com .

SOURCE Aflac Incorporated

CONTACT: Yolonda King, +1-706-243-8547, +1-706-320-2288 Fax, yking@aflac.com, Mechell Clark, +1-706-243-8004, +1-706-320-2288 Fax, meclark@aflac.com, both of Aflac Incorporated