FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec. 9, 2024
EEOC Issues Federal Workforce Report for Fiscal Year 2021
Data Shows Greater Participation Rates Among Most Racial/Ethnic Groups and Persons with Disabilities
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today released its Annual Report on the Federal Workforce for fiscal year (FY) 2021. The report provides the state of equal employment opportunity (EEO) throughout the federal government including benchmarks against which individual agencies can gauge their performance.
The report’s first section identified underlying FY 2021 trends in federal sector complaint processing. Main findings included:
- 33,506 counselings completed, with 36.5% resulting in a formal complaint filing.
- 12,226 formal discrimination complaints filed; the most frequently alleged basis was reprisal/retaliation (6,529 or 53.4%), followed by age (3,597 or 29.4%) and physical disability (3,565 or 29.1%).
- An alternative dispute resolution (ADR) option was offered for 87.8% of completed counselings, with 55.5% accepting. Of those that accepted ADR, 68.1% resulted in a resolution.
- EEO investigators spent an average of 185 days to complete investigations, down 9.3% from FY 2020.
- The average pre-complaint monetary settlement was $4,802, with total governmentwide settlement costs of roughly $3.4 million—down from $3.6 million in FY 2020.
- In FY 2021, monetary benefits for complainants obtained through settlements and awarded for findings of discrimination at the complaint stage (including Administrative Judge decisions and final agency decisions), amounted to over $74 million, an 11.9% increase since FY 2020.
The report’s second section provided an overview of FY 2021 federal sector trends related to workforce demographics and indicators of EEO commitment. Highlights included:
- For the first time, the federal government reached its 2% participation goal for persons with targeted disabilities (PWTD).
- The participation rate of persons with disabilities (PWD) increased from 8.7% in FY 2016 to 10.5% in FY 2021.
- The participation rates of PWD and PWTD were higher in the GS 1-10 grade band than in the GS 11 through Senior Executive Service and Senior Pay grade band.
- In FY 2021, most (but not all) race/ethnicity by gender groups were employed in the federal workforce at rates higher than they were in the civilian labor force (CLF).
- Of groups with participation rates below the CLF, Hispanic/Latino men, Hispanic/Latina women, and men of Two or More Races saw substantial participation rate increases between FY 2016 and FY 2021. However, the participation rate of white women decreased during that same period.
- Most demographic groups had their highest participation rates in the lower General Schedule (GS) 1-10 grade band. The exceptions were White men, Asian men, Asian women, and Hispanic/Latino men.
- In about 66.4% of federal agencies, the agency’s EEO director reported directly to the agency head.
As with previous annual reports, this report includes data from agency-submitted MD-715 reports. A list of agencies failing to submit and certify their MD-715 for this report is provided in the workforce tables at https://www.eeoc.gov/federal-sector/reports/annual-reports-federal-workforce-including-data-tables.
Despite the significant progress the federal sector has made in promoting EEO, workforce data suggested that some inequities persist. “We continue to see slow but steady progress in the federal sector with regard to key indicators of the EEOC’s mission to foster inclusiveness and eliminate discrimination,” said Carlton Hadden, director of the EEOC’s Office of Federal Operations.
The EEOC will continue to identify and promote promising practices to help employers create more equitable workplaces.
The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.
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