Hispanic Employment Statistics

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided statistical information on Hispanic employment at eight selected executive departments in 1994, focusing on the percentage of Hispanics: (1) at certain grade levels; and (2) that received appointments, conversions, promotions, and outstanding performance appraisals. GAO noted that: (1) the Air Force, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Department of Transportation (DOT), and Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) had with the highest representation of Hispanics in professional positions; (2) the four departments with the lowest representation were the Department of Commerce, the Department of the Interior, the Navy, and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); (3) most professional Hispanics were employed at grade levels GS-1 to GS-6; (4) Hispanic employees at HHS were concentrated in the GS-7 to GS-12 grade group; (5) Hispanic employees accounted for 1.8 to at grade levels GS-13 to GS-15 at these agencies; (6) the percentage of Hispanic Senior Executive Service (SES) members ranged from 1.2 percent to 3.8 percent at the Navy, VA, HHS, Commerce, DOT, and HUD; (7) there were minor differences in the percentages of appointments and conversions of Hispanic employees; (8) Hispanic employees accounted for 1.9 percent of the appointments and conversions to SES positions; (9) the Air Force awarded the largest percentage of temporary and permanent promotions to Hispanic employees followed by HUD, VA, and DOT; and (10) the agencies with the lowest percentage of professional Hispanics had the highest percentage of Hispanics receiving outstanding performance ratings.