Issue Briefs

Following is an excerpt from the latest OPM annual report on demographics of the federal workforce describing how it is changing over time and how it compares with the overall labor force.

The percentage of minorities in the Federal Workforce increased by 0.4 percent to 35.3 percent in FY 2014 from 34.9 percent in FY 2013, which is notably greater than the percentage of the Civilian Labor Force that is comprised by minorities (32.5 percent). The Federal Workforce is 18.1 percent Black, 8.4 percent Hispanic, 5.6 percent Asian, 0.4 percent Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, 1.7 percent American Indian/Alaska Native, 1.2 percent Non-Hispanic/Multi-Racial, and 64.7 percent White. Minorities as a whole constituted 35.3 percent of the Federal Workforce.

Black employees represented 18.1 percent (343,663) of the permanent Federal Workforce as of September 30, 2014, compared to 18 percent in FY 2013.

Hispanic employees represented 8.4 percent (159,540) of the permanent Federal Workforce as of September 30, 2013, compared to 8.3 percent in FY 2013.

Asian employees represented 5.6 percent (106,111) of the permanent Federal Workforce as of September 30, 2013, compared to 5.5 percent in FY 2013.

Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander employees represented 0.4 percent (8,486) of the permanent Federal Workforce as of September 30, 2014, the same as in FY 2013.

American Indian/Alaska Native employees represented 1.7 percent (31,409) of the permanent Federal Workforce as of September 30, 2014, that same as in FY 2013.

White employees represented 64.7 percent (1,229,456) of the permanent Federal Workforce as of September 30, 2014, compared to 65.1 percent in FY 2013.

Non-Hispanic Multi-Racial employees represented 1.2 percent (22,752) of the permanent Federal Workforce as of September 30, 2014, compared to 1.1 percent in FY 2013.

Women comprised 43.2 percent (821,899) of all Federal permanent employees as of September 30, 2014, compared to 43.4 percent in FY 2013.

Men comprised 56.8 percent (1,079,518) of all Federal permanent employees as of September 30, 2014, compared to 56.6 percent in FY 2013.

The percentage of minorities in the Senior Executive Service (SES) increased by 0.8 percent to 20.7 in FY 2014, compared to 19.9 percent in FY 2013 . The SES is 11.1 percent Black, 4.4 percent Hispanic, 3.2 percent Asian, 0.2 percent Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, 1.2 percent American Indian/Alaska Native, and 0.6 percent Non-Hispanic/Multi-Racial.

The percentage of women in the Senior Executive Service (SES) increased by 0.2 percent from 33.7 percent in FY 2013 to 33.9 percent in FY 2014.