Summary: In reviewing 75 federal agencies ranging in size from 3 employees to nearly 4,700, GAO found that the overall representation of women and minorities in these small and medium agencies increased from 1984 to 1992. However, underrepresentation existed in many of the job categories. In particular, in medium agency key jobs, those that lead to senior-level positions, GAO found that underrepresentation existed in every key job. At the same time, women and minorities were being hired and promoted at rates that should improve their relative shares of the workforce. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) needs to strengthen the management of the federal EEO program by clarifying its requirements for small agencies and ensuring that small agencies are held accountable for developing and implementing affirmative employment programs. In place of affirmative employment plans, EEOC requires small agencies to submit a statement affirming their commitment to equal employment opportunity. This statement, however, does not guarantee that agencies follow EEOC's requirement for affirmative employment planning, nor does it provide EEOC with additional information to show that they are complying.
