EEOC Issues Reports on Women in the Federal Sector

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today released three reports focusing on different groups of women in the federal government: American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) women, African American women, and Hispanic women and Latinas.

The reports examined fiscal year (FY) 2020 data to compare the participation, retention, advancement, and pay of each group of women to three different groups: the total federal workforce, all women, and men of the same ethnicity or race. Results show that employment outcomes for these three groups of women were not equal to the comparison groups. Understanding the challenges these groups of women face in the federal workplace can help agencies better address these inequalities.

“These reports reinforce the EEOC’s commitment to identifying employment issues facing underserved communities and supports the Administration’s goals as shared through Executive Order 14035, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the Federal Workforce,” said Dexter Brooks, associate director of the EEOC’s Office of Federal Operations. “The barriers faced by different groups of women are sometimes hidden in larger data. We hope these reports provide federal agencies and those working to implement Executive Order 14035 with information that can be leveraged to address the significant pay gaps and separation issues identified in these reports.”

The main findings from American Indian and Alaska Native Women in the Federal Sector include that AIAN women:

• Accounted for 0.8% of the federal workforce in FY 2020, more than twice their participation rate in the civilian labor force (CLF).
• Resigned at a rate of 3.6%, higher than the governmentwide rate of 2.3%.
• Involuntarily separated (removed from service due to workforce reduction or dismissal) from federal agencies at a rate of 0.8%, higher than the governmentwide rate of 0.5%.
• Are proportionately represented among managers and supervisors, but account for only 0.4% of executives—disproportionate to their presence in the federal workforce.
• Earned a median annual salary of $56,432—about $26,200 less than all federal employees and $22,800 less than all women.

The main findings from African American Women in the Federal Sector include that African American women:

• Made up 11.7% of the federal workforce, almost twice their participation in the CLF.
• Resigned at a rate of 2.5%, slightly higher than the governmentwide average.
• Involuntarily separated (removed from service due to workforce reduction or dismissal) at a rate of 0.6%, slightly higher than the governmentwide average.
• Were underrepresented in leadership positions. Although African American women accounted for 11.7% of the federal workforce, they accounted for 10.4% of supervisors, 9.6% of managers, and 7.3% of executives.
• Earned, on average, $12,597 less than other federal employees and $9,206 less than all women.

The main findings from Hispanic Women and Latinas in the Federal Sector include that Hispanic women and Latinas:

• Made up 6.2% of the civilian labor force but accounted for only 4.5% of federal employees in 2020.
• Resigned from federal employers at a rate almost twice the average for all employees governmentwide. About 4.5% of Hispanic women and Latinas resigned in FY 2020 compared to 2.3% of all employees.
• Involuntarily separated (removed from service due to workforce reduction or dismissal) from federal employers at a rate higher than women overall and employees governmentwide.
• Held first-line supervisory positions in federal agencies at a higher rate (5.6%) than their participation in the federal workforce (4.3% of permanent employees), but they were underrepresented as managers (3.5%) and executives (1.9%).
• On average were paid $67,816 annually. They were paid less than Hispanic and Latino men ($76,802), women overall ($79,278), and employees governmentwide ($82,669).

The EEOC is currently preparing similar reports, including one that will examine Asian men and women in the federal sector. The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.