Summary: How well has the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) succeeded in creating a federal workforce that is discrimination free and reflects the nation's population? GAO found general increases in the employment of women and minorities at federal agencies. All groups of women and minorities have gained in representation relative to white men at all grade levels. Yet some groups, such as Hispanic men and women, are not fully represented in the federal workforce. EEOC requires agencies to prepare five-year affirmative employment plans. Many agencies were late, some very much so, in submitting plans. In addition, agencies often failed to critically analyze these plans. Nonetheless, EEOC approved the tardy or incomplete plans. GAO also testified that (1) EEOC sometimes mandated the use of out-of-date data for affirmative action planning; (2) EEOC did not sufficiently encourage agencies to analyze trends in hiring, training and development, promotion, and separation that would provide more information useful for achieving affirmative action goals; and (3) neither EEOC nor the Office of Personnel Management helped agencies collect information on the minority and gender composition of the applicant population, information that would help in recruiting. Although strong leadership at EEOC is essential, the President and Congress need to underscore the need for assertive affirmative employment programs at agencies and hold senior managers accountable for achieving a representative workforce, particularly at higher grade levels.
