The Federal Workforce:
Additional Insights Could Enhance Agency Efforts Related to Hispanic Representation
GAO-06-832, Aug 17, 2006
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Hispanic representation in the federal workforce has historically been lower than in the Civilian Labor Force (CLF). Understanding factors affecting representation is important to developing and maintaining a high-quality and inclusive workforce. In this report, GAO identifies and analyzes factors affecting Hispanic representation in the federal workforce, examines oversight roles of EEOC and OPM, and provides illustrations of selected federal agencies' efforts with respect to Hispanic representation. GAO constructed a multivariate logistic regression model, with advice from experts, to determine how factors affected the likelihood of Hispanics and non-Hispanics being in the federal versus nonfederal workforce. GAO's analyses are not intended to and do not show the existence or absence of discrimination in the federal workforce.
U.S. citizenship and educational attainment had the greatest effect, of the measurable factors we identified, on Hispanic representation in the federal workforce. Our statistical model showed that when accounting for citizenship, required for most federal employment, Hispanics were nearly as likely as non-Hispanics to be employed in the federal workforce, relative to the nonfederal workforce (the portion of the CLF excluding federal employees). In addition, the federal workforce has a greater proportion of occupations that require higher levels of education than the CLF. When we compared citizens with similar levels of education, Hispanics were more likely than non-Hispanics to be employed in the federal workforce relative to the nonfederal workforce. Other factors in our model, including age, gender, race, veteran's status, English proficiency, and geography (state where employed), had a more limited or almost no effect on the likelihood of Hispanics being in the federal workforce. In addition to reporting and comparing representation levels overall and in subsets of the federal workforce to the CLF, EEOC and OPM require that agencies analyze their own workforces. However, the CLF benchmarks of representation that EEOC, OPM, and the agencies use do not differentiate between citizens and noncitizens, and therefore do not identify how citizenship affects the pool of persons qualified to work for the federal government. Where these analyses identify differences in representation, EEOC, for example, requires agencies to determine if there are barriers to participation and develop strategies to address them. OPM provides resources and guidance to assist agencies in implementing human capital strategies. Through these efforts, OPM has promoted the use of student employment programs as a source of qualified candidates. Analyzing agency use of these programs, including the extent to which agencies convert participants to permanent employment, could provide OPM with valuable information to assist agencies in maximizing the use of these programs in their strategic workforce planning. The agencies we reviewed use a variety of approaches to address Hispanic representation, including recruiting at colleges and universities with large Hispanic populations, publicizing employment opportunities in Hispanic media, reaching out to Hispanic communities and Hispanic-serving organizations, and using student employment, internship, career development, and training programs. For example, the U.S. Air Force partners with vocational-technical schools to develop aircraft maintenance technicians, and staff at selected National Aeronautics and Space Administration facilities mentor and tutor students to encourage careers in science, technology, engineering, and math.
Status Legend:
- Review Pending
- Open
- Closed - implemented
- Closed - not implemented
Recommendations for Executive Action
Recommendation: The Director of OPM and the Chair of EEOC should work with other Consortium agencies and the Census Bureau to incorporate citizenship data into the 2010 Census Special EEO File and incorporate such data into analyses under MD-715, FEORP, and Executive Order No. 13171.
Agency Affected: Office of Personnel Management
Status: Open
Comments: On December 7, 2006, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) sent a letter to the Census Bureau requesting that citizenship be included as a variable in the Census 2010 Special EEO File. In a June 13, 2007, letter to the Census Bureau OPM provided its specifications for how citizenship data should be included. On February, 9 2009, the Census Bureau's Disclosure Review Board approved the request of the consortium agencies--DOL, DOJ, EEOC, and OPM--to include citizenship as a variable in the Census 2010 Special EEO File. According to September 1, 2010, email from a Census Bureau official that oversees the Special EEO File, a decision on the final specifications of the Census 2010 Special EEO File had been expected at the end of August 2010, but some issues remain unresolved. The consortium is expected to meet again in October 2010. The team is continuing in its efforts to schedule a meeting with OPM to discuss this recommendation.
Recommendation: The Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) should include citizenship in their annual comparisons of representation in the federal workforce to the CLF. To help ensure consistency, both agencies should agree upon a single source of citizenship data.
Agency Affected: Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Status: Open
Comments: This is a 3-part update. 1) Looking back, in July 2006, EEOC sent a letter requesting that the Census Bureau review the possibility of including citizenship data in the Census 2010 Special EEO File. In December 2006, OPM sent a letter to the Census Bureau requesting that citizenship be included as a variable in the Census 2010 Special EEO File and in June 2007 provided its specifications for how citizenship data should be cross-tabulated. In February 2008, EEOC officials indicated that the agency is currently working with the Census Bureau and other consortium agencies to include citizenship as a variable in the Census 2010 Special EEO File. On February, 9 2009, the Census Bureau's Disclosure Review Board approved the request of the consortium agencies--DOL, DOJ, EEOC, and OPM--to include citizenship as a variable in the Census 2010 Special EEO File. The consortium is expected to meet again in October 2010. 2) On August 25, 2010, the team held a teleconference with EEOC officials who stated that EEOC had not made a determination on how to incorporate citizenship data into its annual comparisons of representation in the federal workforce to the CLF because the 2010 Special EEO file had not been finalized. According to September 1, 2010, email from a Census Bureau official that oversees the Special EEO File, a decision on the final specifications of the Census 2010 Special EEO File had been expected at the end of August 2010, but some issues remain unresolved. 3) Most recently, in October 2011, OPM officials explained that they have not received or analyzed the 2010 Census data. They said that OPM and EEOC met in November 2010, January 2011, and March 2011 to discuss citizenship data and reporting categories by profession in the MD-715 and Federal Equal Opportunity Recruitment Program (FEORP) reports. OPM and EEOC agreed to analyze the data once it is released and meet with the Census Bureau, and other appropriate agencies, to determine next steps for using the data in MD-715 comparisons.
Recommendation: The Director of OPM should assess the extent of participation by racial and ethnic groups in student employment programs--Student Career Experience Program (SCEP), Federal Career Intern Program (FCIP), and Presidential Management Fellows (PMF)--to help agencies maximize the use of these programs in their overall strategic workforce plan. This effort should include analyzing participation in, and conversion rates to, permanent positions from these programs and reporting governmentwide and agency-specific demographic data for the different racial and ethnic groups reflecting participation in, and rates of conversion to, permanent employment from these programs. These data are in addition to the data already reported on these programs in its reports, such as in its statistical reports on Hispanic employment and in the Fact Book.
Agency Affected: Office of Personnel Management
Status: Open
Comments: In a letter dated August 25, 2011, OPM explained that the there have been major changes to the federal government intership and fellowship programs. OPM will explore whether there are already mechanisms in place to collect the demographic data under the new programs, and, if not, whether they can develop a new mechanism to collect the data. For example, Executive Order 13562 entitled Recruiting and Hiring Students and Recent Graduates created a new program for recent graduates, consolidates and improves existing student internship programs, and retains a reinvigorated Presidential Management Fellow program for advanced degree holders. The order also directs OPM to issue implementing regulations, and the Proposed Student Pathways Regulations were issued on August 5, 2011. Executive Order 13585 establishes a coordinated government-wide initiative to promote diversity and inclusion in the federal workforce require. In its 60-day letter the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) wrote that OPM declined to accept this recommendation. During a February 19, 2008 meeting with OPM's liaison, we requested that OPM provide an update on the status of recommendations made in GAO-06-832. At a July 29, 2008, meeting with OPM's liaison to update the status of a number of GAO recommendations, OPM officials did not provide any information on this recommendation. There is currently litigation pending in Federal District Court concerning the validity of the FCIP. The team is continuing its efforts to meet with OPM regarding the status of this recommendation.
Recommendation: The Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) should include citizenship in their annual comparisons of representation in the federal workforce to the CLF. To help ensure consistency, both agencies should agree upon a single source of citizenship data.
Agency Affected: Office of Personnel Management
Status: Open
Comments: This is a 3-part update. 1) Looking back, in July 2006, EEOC sent a letter requesting that the Census Bureau review the possibility of including citizenship data in the Census 2010 Special EEO File. In December 2006, OPM sent a letter to the Census Bureau requesting that citizenship be included as a variable in the Census 2010 Special EEO File and in June 2007 provided its specifications for how citizenship data should be cross-tabulated. In February 2008, EEOC officials indicated that the agency is currently working with the Census Bureau and other consortium agencies to include citizenship as a variable in the Census 2010 Special EEO File. On February, 9 2009, the Census Bureau's Disclosure Review Board approved the request of the consortium agencies--DOL, DOJ, EEOC, and OPM--to include citizenship as a variable in the Census 2010 Special EEO File. The consortium is expected to meet again in October 2010. 2) On August 25, 2010, the team held a teleconference with EEOC officials who stated that EEOC had not made a determination on how to incorporate citizenship data into its annual comparisons of representation in the federal workforce to the CLF because the 2010 Special EEO file had not been finalized. According to September 1, 2010, email from a Census Bureau official that oversees the Special EEO File, a decision on the final specifications of the Census 2010 Special EEO File had been expected at the end of August 2010, but some issues remain unresolved. 3) Most recently, in October 2011, OPM officials explained that they have not received or analyzed the 2010 Census data. They said that OPM and EEOC met in November 2010, January 2011, and March 2011 to discuss citizenship data and reporting categories by profession in the MD-715 and Federal Equal Opportunity Recruitment Program (FEORP) reports. OPM and EEOC agreed to analyze the data once it is released and meet with the Census Bureau, and other appropriate agencies, to determine next steps for using the data in MD-715 comparisons.
Recommendation: The Director of OPM and the Chair of EEOC should work with other Consortium agencies and the Census Bureau to incorporate citizenship data into the 2010 Census Special EEO File and incorporate such data into analyses under MD-715, FEORP, and Executive Order No. 13171.
Agency Affected: Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Status: Open
Comments: This is a 3-part update. 1) Looking back, in July 2006, EEOC sent a letter requesting that the Census Bureau review the possibility of including citizenship data in the Census 2010 Special EEO File. In December 2006, OPM sent a letter to the Census Bureau requesting that citizenship be included as a variable in the Census 2010 Special EEO File and in June 2007 provided its specifications for how citizenship data should be cross-tabulated. In February 2008, EEOC officials indicated that the agency is currently working with the Census Bureau and other consortium agencies to include citizenship as a variable in the Census 2010 Special EEO File. On February, 9 2009, the Census Bureau's Disclosure Review Board approved the request of the consortium agencies--DOL, DOJ, EEOC, and OPM--to include citizenship as a variable in the Census 2010 Special EEO File. The consortium is expected to meet again in October 2010. 2) On August 25, 2010, the team held a teleconference with EEOC officials who stated that EEOC had not made a determination on how to incorporate citizenship data into its annual comparisons of representation in the federal workforce to the CLF because the 2010 Special EEO file had not been finalized. According to September 1, 2010, email from a Census Bureau official that oversees the Special EEO File, a decision on the final specifications of the Census 2010 Special EEO File had been expected at the end of August 2010, but some issues remain unresolved. 3) Most recently, in October 2011, OPM officials explained that they have not received or analyzed the 2010 Census data. They said that OPM and EEOC met in November 2010, January 2011, and March 2011 to discuss citizenship data and reporting categories by profession in the MD-715 and Federal Equal Opportunity Recruitment Program (FEORP) reports. OPM and EEOC agreed to analyze the data once it is released and meet with the Census Bureau, and other appropriate agencies, to determine next steps for using the data in MD-715 comparisons.