Washington, D.C. and Honolulu, HI - A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released today shows that gains in the number of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities in the Senior Executive Service (SES) this decade have been inconsistent from agency to agency, with some agencies reporting a decline in the representation of minorities.  The SES is a corps of approximately 7,000 career and non-career executives that lead the civilian federal workforce.  The GAO report was requested by Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI) and Congressman Danny K. Davis (D-Il). 

"We must do a better job of reflecting our country's diversity in the senior ranks at all agencies by recruiting talent from a range of backgrounds," said Akaka.  "The improvements reported by GAO are good, but agencies and the Office of Personnel Management need to do more to create a truly diverse corps of senior executives and SES candidates.  I am hopeful that the next Congress and Administration will aggressively confront these remaining deficits."

Congressman Danny K. Davis said, "GAO's most recent report on diversity in the Senior Executive Service is additional evidence that legislation is needed to address the lack of diversity at the Federal government's senior levels.  I will continue to push for such legislation in the 111th Congress."

The report updates a January 2003 GAO report (GAO-03-34) that provided a similar review of the demographics and employment trends of the SES.  GAO used the Office of Personnel Management's Central Personnel Data File to compare data from 2000 included in the January 2003 report with data from 2007.  While the number of women and minorities in the SES grew overall, representation of minorities in certain agencies, such as the Departments of Agriculture, Education, and Health and Human Services, actually decreased between 2000 and 2007.

Congressman Davis and Senator Akaka sponsored the Senior Executive Service Diversity Assurance Act (H.R. 3774/S. 2148) in the 110th Congress to improve diversity in the SES. 

Senator Akaka is Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia.

Representative Davis is Chairman of the House Subcommittee on the Federal Workforce, the Postal Service, and the District of Columbia.                             

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