EEOC Releases Federal Work Force Data

Annual Report Shows Minorities Make Gains in Securing Senior Level Positions

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today released its Annual Report on the Federal Work Force Part II: Work Force Statistics, Fiscal Year (FY) 2010.  The comprehensive report informs and advises the President and the Congress on the state of equal employment opportunity (EEO) government-wide. 

The report includes statistical work force profiles and trends for 64 federal agencies, measures of agencies' progress toward implementing model EEO programs, and a summary of select EEO program activities and best practices.  Each agency's profile highlights work force participation rates by race, gender, national origin and individuals with targeted disabilities, as well as the breakdown for major occupational categories.  This report covers the period from October 1, 2009 through September 30, 2010. 

According to the report, there has been little change in the composition of the federal work force over the years.  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.

Despite a modest gain of 554 employees in FY 2010, 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, intellectual disabilities, 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.

"This report shows that while the federal government is a leader in employing a diverse workforce, specific areas for improvement remain," said EEOC Chair Jacqueline A. Berrien.  "The EEOC will continue to work with federal government leaders to identify and remove barriers to equal employment opportunity and promote diversity and inclusion in the federal workplace." 

EEOC is charged with monitoring federal agency compliance with equal employment opportunity (EEO) laws and procedures and reviewing and assessing the effect of agencies' compliance with requirements to maintain continuing affirmative employment programs to promote equal employment opportunity and to identify and eliminate barriers to equality of employment opportunity.   

The EEOC enforces laws prohibiting discrimination in the federal and private sectors. Further information about the EEOC is available on its web site at www.eeoc.gov.