USDA Forest Service Employee Diversity During a Period of Workforce Contraction

Abstract

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 24%, 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. Study Implications: Like other land management agencies, the USDA Forest Service aims for workforce diversity to help meet its mission to serve the American people. Assessing progress toward meeting diversity goals is key and looking at Forest Service employee demographic data over a 22-year period (1995–2017), we find mixed results. The Forest Service workforce has declined in overall numbers and has lost representative diversity in many gender, race, and ethnicity categories. However, some sections of the agency, such as leadership grades and business operation positions, have increased representative diversity. Slow progress in meeting diversity goals may limit the effectiveness of the Forest Service and the public’s trust in the agency (and other public land management agencies), especially if diversity of perspective and thought among employees is not also supported. More work is needed to evaluate why progress toward Forest Service diversity goals has been uneven. In particular, these data do not tell us about how the presence or absence of representative diversity affects the quality of people’s experiences as agency employees, or why people either leave or stay with the agency over time.