USDA Forest Service Employee Diversity During a Period of Workforce Contraction

We analyzed USDA Forest Service (Forest Service) employment data from 1995 to 2017, by race and ethnicity, gender, as well as race/ethnicity and gender, to assess progress towards the Forest Service’s goal of achieving a multicultural workforce that reflects the US population. We look at the trends...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of forestry 2022-07, Vol.120 (4), p.434-452
Main Authors: Westphal, Lynne M, Dockry, Michael J, Kenefic, Laura S, Sachdeva, Sonya S, Rhodeland, Amelia, Locke, Dexter H, Kern, Christel C, Huber-Stearns, Heidi R, Coughlan, Michael R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Employees
Employment
Ethnicity
Forests
Gender
Leadership
Minority & ethnic groups
Race
Workforce
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:We analyzed USDA Forest Service (Forest Service) employment data from 1995 to 2017, by race and ethnicity, gender, as well as race/ethnicity and gender, to assess progress towards the Forest Service’s goal of achieving a multicultural workforce that reflects the US population. We look at the trends by an employee’s level in the Forest Service and by branch of the Forest Service. Our data show an overall decrease in the workforce by nearly 20%, an increase in diversity in Forest Service leadership levels, little change in the percentage of employees in non-White racial/ethnic groups combined, the number of Black employees decreased, and the number of women in lower grades and in the National Forest System Deputy Area decreased. Comparison with the civilian labor force provides additional context. Implications are relevant beyond the Forest Service, including a risk of losing public trust and reduced agency effectiveness if a representative workforce is not achieved.
ISSN:0022-1201
1938-3746
DOI:10.1093/jofore/fvab071