Despite Workforce Diversity Efforts, Career Metrics Differ for Some Demographic Groups in the USDA Forest Service

• DOI: 10.1080/08941920.2023.2183447
• Publication Date: 2023-03-15T09:39:50Z
• Authors: Sonya S. Sachdeva; Lynne M. Westphal; Laura S. Kenefic; Michael J. Dockry; Dexter H. Locke; Cherie L. Fisher
• Keywords: Workforce Diversity

A diverse, representative workforce is both beneficial and legally mandated for U.S. federal agencies. While previous research documents overall diversity within public agencies, like the USDA Forest Service, little known about career outcomes trajectories these In this work, we look at individual-level metrics which reveal patterns in employee retention, advancement, termination. Using employment data over 25,000 Service employees, found that race/ethnicity, gender, interaction of variables significantly related to each metric. For instance, BIPOC female employees entered a higher grade but advanced more slowly spent fewer years with agency. male started lower grades were likely be terminated than any other group. These results suggest performance varies substantially as function race gender. Additional needed uncover why unequal occur.