Report Shows Little Change in Ethnic Composition of Federal Workforce

The annual report from the EEOC on the federal workforce indicates that there has been little change in the racial composition of the federal workforce, however it shows that the number of minorities landing senior level positions in the government has increased.

The EEOC has released its annual report on the federal workforce for FY 2010. The report, titled Federal Work Force Part II: Work Force Statistics indicates that there has been little change in the racial composition of the federal workforce, however it shows that the number of minorities landing senior level positions in the government has increased.

The annual report looks at profiles and trends for 64 federal agencies and identifies work force participation rates by rage, gender, national origin and individuals with targeted disabilities.

In FY 2010, there were over 2.8 million people employed by the federal government, of whom 56% were men and 44% were women. Of that total:

  • 65.4% were White,
  • 17.9% were Black or African American,
  • 7.9% were Hispanic or Latino,
  • 5.9% were Asian,
  • 1.6% were American Indian or Alaska Native,
  • .08% were persons of two or more races, and
  • .04% were Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

 

The report also shows that the participation rate of individuals with targeted disabilities remained at 0.88%.  Targeted disabilities include deafness, blindness, missing extremities, partial or complete paralysis, convulsive disorders, mental retardation, mental illness, and distortion of the limb and/or spine.

Over the last 10 years, women, Hispanic or Latino, Black or African American and Asian employees have made the most gains in securing senior level positions in the federal government. However, between FY 2009 and FY 2010, women, Hispanic or Latino men and women, men of two or more races, and white women remained below their overall availability in the national civilian labor force.

Speaking on the report, EEOC Chair Jacqueline A. Berrien said in a statement, “This report shows that while the federal government is a leader in employing a diverse workforce, specific areas for improvement remain.”

About the Author

Ian Smith is one of the co-founders of FedSmith.com. He has over 20 years of combined experience in media and government services, having worked at two government contracting firms and an online news and web development company prior to his current role at FedSmith.