While Hispanics remain the only underrepresented minority group in the federal government, progress is being made. In Fiscal Year 2004, Hispanics represented 7.3 percent of the federal workforce, an increase from 7.0 the previous year, according to statistics provided by the Office of Personnel Management.
Dan G. Blair, acting director for OPM, recently hosted a meeting of the Interagency Task Force on Hispanic Employment in Federal Government – which includes representatives from 40 federal agencies who were invited to discuss Hispanic-related employment issues.
"The federal government continues to be a leader in providing employment opportunities to minorities," said Blair. "Over the past four years, government data has shown an upward trend in the overall Hispanic representation in the federal workforce."
The purpose of the meeting was to review practices, assess progress and evaluate further actions related to Hispanic representation in the federal workforce.
Blair reminded agencies that they have available a variety of special hiring programs, authorities and flexibilities to meet their human capital needs. The Student Career Experience Program and the Federal Career Internship Program are two key hiring programs federal agencies are using to recruit candidates from diverse backgrounds, he said.
OPM staff presented highlights from this year’s Statistical Information on Hispanic Employment in Federal Agencies, a report prepared for the President, including:
– A 6.6 percent increase in the number of Hispanics in the permanent Federal workforce from FY 2003.
– An increase in the number of Hispanic permanent new hires at high grade levels and senior level positions.
– An increase in the number of Hispanic new hires under the Student Career Experience Program.
Previous OPM Statistical Information on Hispanic employment in federal agencies reports to the president are available here. http://www.opm.gov/Diversity/Hispanic/index.asp.
In addition to OPM, agencies that participate in the task force include:
Court Services and Offenders Supervision Agency
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Executive Office of the President
Export-Import Bank of the United States
Farm Credit Administration
Federal Communications Commission
General Services Administration
Inter-American Foundation
International Broadcasting Bureau
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
National Endowment for the Humanities
National Science Foundation
Occupational Safety & Health Review
Peace Corps
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
Selective Service System
U.S. Agency for International Development
U.S. Air Force
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
U.S. Department of Agriculture
U.S. Department of Commerce
U.S. Department of Education
U.S. Department of Energy
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
U.S. Department of Justice
U.S. Department of Labor
U.S. Department of State
U.S. Department of the Interior
U.S. Department of the Treasury
U.S. Department of Transportation
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
U.S. National Archives and Records Administration
U.S. Navy
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
U.S. Small Business Administration
U.S. Social Security Administration
