Issue Briefs

Following are excerpts from a recent OPM report on the representation of minorities in the federal workforce.

The Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 Federal Equal Opportunity Recruitment Program (FEORP) report to Congress is prepared in accordance with title 5, United States Code, section 7201. This report compares FY 2007 and FY 2008 Federal employment statistics derived from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) Central Personnel Data File (CPDF). In addition, this report includes human capital activities agencies reported as effective in attracting, recruiting and retaining a high-quality, citizen-centered, and results-oriented Federal workforce. The human capital initiatives fall into four categories: workforce planning, recruitment and outreach, mentoring, and career development opportunities.

Originally, the FEORP covered Federal Executive Branch employees in the General Schedule and Related (GSR) pay plans and Federal Wage Systems pay plans, representing almost 92 percent of total permanent, non-postal employees. However, the Federal government continues to experience a steady shift of white-collar employment out of the GSR pay plans and into new white-collar pay plans. The number of employees in non-GSR pay plans rose to 353,195 in 2008, from 274,717 in 2007. This represents a 28.6 percent increase.


To ensure the FEORP report provides Congress with a meaningful picture of the Federal workforce, this year’s report includes for the first time a new category, Non-Hispanic Multiracial. This category is defined as non-Hispanic and of more than one race. Although this new category is not a minority group as determined under 5 U.S.C. § 7201, collection and representation of this data is consistent with the new Racial/National Origin structure required by the Office of Management and Budget. OPM guidance to agencies required use of the new codes for all accessions occurring on or after January 1, 2006. However, while agencies were not required to resurvey their workforce, they had the option to do so. As a result, the Federal civilian employees in this category do not reflect total numbers in the Federal workforce, and only those who completed the new Standard Form 181, Ethnicity and Race Identification (dated July 2005). The data for FY 2007 presented in this report differs from the data published in the FEORP Report FY 2007 due to the inclusion of this new category. The aggregate figures for FY 2007 contained in this report are consistent with those originally published, as they were previously included in larger sub-totals.


Major findings in the FY 2008 FEORP Report are:

The total permanent Federal workforce (FW) covered by the FEORP report increased by 60,724 (3.6 percent) to 1,756,733 in FY 2008, from 1,696,009 in FY 2007.


The Federal Government continues to be a leader in employing minorities. The number of minorities in the Federal workforce increased by 5.3 percent (to 586,272 in 2008, from 556,556 in 2007). The proportion of minorities in the total workforce rose to 33.4 in 2008 from 32.8 in 2007.


Overall, minority groups are better represented in the FW than in the Civilian Labor Force (CLF) with the exception of Hispanics. Despite a trend of increasing Hispanic representation in the FW, Hispanics remain underrepresented compared to the CLF. Hispanics represent 7.9 percent of the Federal workforce compared to 13.2 percent of the CLF.

The Federal Government lags behind the CLF in the overall employment of women. Women represent 44.2 percent of the FW compared to 45.6 percent of the CLF in 2008. Certain groups of women — Black, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Native American — exceeded their representation in the CLF in 2008.

* Despite a decrease in total employment in GSR grades 13 through 15 (from 333,268 in FY 2007, to 325,306 in 2008), the proportion of women and minorities in these grade levels increased by 0.4 percent and 2.0 percent, respectively.


* The representation of minorities and women at Senior Pay levels increased. The proportion of minorities at Senior Pay levels increased to 17.0 percent in 2008, from 16.6 percent in 2007. The number of women at Senior Pay levels increased by 417, from 5,513 in 2007, to 5,930 in 2008.

TOTAL EMPLOYMENT

Total permanent employment in pay plans covered by the FEORP report increased by 60,724 to 1,756,733 as of September 30, 2008, compared to 1,696,009 as of September 30, 2007. Non-General Schedule and Related (GSR) white-collar pay plans account for 353,195 employees in this report. The representation of minorities in the Federal workforce (FW) increased 5.3 percent to 586,272 in 2008 from 556,556 in 2007.


Blacks represented 17.9 percent (313,899) of the FW in 2008 and 17.7 percent (300,104) of the FW in 2007. Black representation in the Civilian Labor Force (CLF) was 10.0 percent in 2008, the same as in 2007.


Hispanics represented 7.9 percent (139,470) of the FW in 2008, compared to 7.8 percent (131,640) in 2007. The representation of Hispanics in the CLF was 13.2 percent in 2008, compared to 13.3 percent in 2007.


Asian/Pacific Islanders represented 5.4 percent (94,198) of the FW in 2008, compared to 5.3 percent (89,431) in 2007. The representation of Asians/Pacific Islanders in the CLF was 4.3 percent in 2008, the same as in 2007.


Native Americans represented 1.9 percent (32,907) of the FW in 2008, the same as in 2007 (32,081). Native American representation in the CLF was 0.7 percent in 2008, the same as in 2007.

Women represented 44.2 percent (776,307) of the FW in 2008, compared to 43.9 percent (745,214) in 2007. The representation of women in the CLF was 45.6 percent in 2008, compared to 45.7 percent in 2007.


Non-Hispanic Multiracial employees represented 0.3 percent (5,798) of the FW in 2008. The representation of Non-Hispanic Multiracial employees in the CLF was 1.2 percent in 2008.

Whites represented 66.6 percent (1,170,461) of the FW in 2008, compared to 67.2 percent in 2007 (1,139,453). The representation of Whites in the CLF was 70.7 percent in 2008, compared to 71.8 percent in 2007.

EMPLOYMENT TOTALS BY RACE AND NATIONAL ORIGIN FOR MAJOR PAY DESIGNATIONS AS A PERCENT OF THE TOTAL FEDERAL WORKFORCE1

Blacks represented 17.9 percent (313,899) of the permanent (1,756,733) Federal workforce (FW) in 2008, compared to 10.0 percent of the Civilian Labor Force (CLF). Blacks in General Schedule and Related (GSR) pay plans (222,629) were 12.7 percent of the FW. The number of Blacks in non-GSR pay plans (55,060) was 3.13 percent of the total workforce. The respective values for blue-collar jobs were 34,961 (2.0 percent), and for Senior Pay levels, 1,249 (0.07 percent).


Hispanics represented 7.9 percent (139,470) of the permanent (1,756,733) FW in 2008, compared to 13.2 percent in the CLF. Hispanics in GSR pay plans (98,440) were 5.6 percent of the FW. There were 25,937 Hispanics in non-GSR pay plans, which was 1.5 percent of the FW; 14,274 in blue-collar jobs, which was 0.8 percent of the FW; and 819 for Senior Pay levels, which was 0.05 percent of the FW.

Asian/Pacific Islanders represented 5.4 percent (94,198) of the permanent (1,756,733) FW in 2008, compared to 4.3 percent in the CLF. Asian/Pacific Islanders in GSR pay plans (61,785) were 3.5 percent of the FW. There were 21,092 Asian/Pacific Islanders in non-GSR pay plans, which was 1.2 percent of the FW; 10,149 in blue-collar positions, which was 0.6 percent; and 1,172 at Senior Pay levels, which was 0.07 percent of the FW.


Native Americans represented 1.9 percent (32,907) of the permanent (1,756,733) FW in 2008, compared to 0.7 percent in the CLF. Native Americans in GSR pay plans (24,898) were 1.4 percent of the FW. There were 3,449 Native Americans in non-GSR pay plans or 0.2 percent of the FW; 4,371 Native Americans were in blue-collar positions, or 0.25 percent; and 189 at Senior Pay levels, which was 0.01 percent of the FW.


Non-Hispanic Multiracial employment represented 0.3 percent (5,798) of the permanent (1,756,733) FW in 2008, compared to 1.2 percent in the CLF. Multiracial employees in GSR pay plans (3,522) were 0.2 percent of the FW. There were 1,705 Multiracial employees in non-GSR pay plans or 0.1 percent of the FW; 539 Multiracial employees were in blue-collar positions, or 0.03 percent; and 32 at Senior Pay levels, which was 0.002 percent of the FW.


Women represented 44.2 percent (776,307) of the permanent (1,756,733) FW in 2008, compared to 45.6 percent in the CLF. Women in GSR pay plans (592,993) were 33.8 percent of the FW. There were 158,535 women in non-GSR pay plans, which was 9.0 percent of the FW; 18,849 blue-collar, which was 1.1 percent; and 5,930 at Senior Pay levels, which was 0.34 percent of the FW.