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

Abstract

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

Keywords:

• Diversity
• natural resource management
• career performance
• USDA Forest Service
• environmental justice

Acknowledgements

The findings and conclusions in this are those of the author(s) and should not be construed to represent any official USDA or U.S. Government determination or policy. The authors would like to thank Pat Winter and other early reviewers of this work for their guidance and support.

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

Funding provided by the USDA Forest Service Research and Development and Northern Research Station.