We looked at federal agencies’ efforts to hire and retain individuals with disabilities. Agencies hired about 143,600 persons with disabilities from 2011-2015—exceeding the federal target of 100,000. Agencies made an additional 79,600 hires in 2016 and 2017. About 39% of those with disabilities hired in 2011-2017 stayed less than a year, compared to about 43% of those without disabilities. A...

Federal agencies must enforce Title IX—which prohibits sex discrimination, including sexual harassment—at universities receiving federal financial assistance. We looked at 5 agencies funding science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) research and found: 4 of 5 agencies received 3 or fewer complaints over the last 5 years 2 of 5 agencies lack or have outdated complaint procedure...

The Federal Aviation Administration requires aircraft be repaired and approved for flight only by mechanics who are “certificated” by the FAA. FAA oversees the certification process of these mechanics and of repairmen who fix aircraft parts. Some stakeholders are concerned that retirements and attrition could reduce the number of certificated workers needed to meet the growing demand for air t...

The State Department has expressed a commitment to building a workforce that reflects the diverse composition of the United States. Though State's workforce has grown more diverse, racial or ethnic minorities are still underrepresented, particularly in the senior ranks. Racial or ethnic minorities in State’s Civil Service were 4% to 29% less likely to be promoted than their white coworkers wit...

Federal law prohibits employers from employment discrimination based on race and gender (among other things). The U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment Commission and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) are the primary agencies that enforce these laws. We testified about challenges these agencies face in ensuring that employers meet equal employment...

Environmental justice seeks to address the disproportionately high health and environmental risks found among low-income and minority communities by seeking their fair treatment and involvement in environmental policy. California's mostly minority and low-income community of West Oakland, for example, is surrounded by 3 freeways and a port. Its residents are exposed to diesel air pollution 3 times...

Federal agencies must enforce Title IX—which prohibits sex discrimination, including sexual harassment—at universities receiving federal funds. 5 agencies provide most of the federal STEM research grant funding. We testified on our early observations of their sexual harassment prevention efforts for grantees: Agencies' communications on these efforts vary, with some issuing more types of gui...

The Women-Owned Small Business program aims to give these businesses an edge when competing for federal contracts in industries where women have traditionally been underrepresented. Each year, the Small Business Administration examines a sample of businesses that received contracts under the program to determine whether they were eligible to participate. In fiscal year 2017, SBA found about 40 pe...

The estimated percentage of minority technology workers increased from 2005 to 2015, but GAO found that no growth occurred for female and Black workers, whereas Asian and Hispanic workers made statistically significant increases (see figure). Further, female, Black, and Hispanic workers remain a smaller proportion of the technology workforce—mathematics, computing, and engineering occupations—...

According to asset managers and industry associations with which GAO spoke, minority- and women-owned (MWO) asset managers face challenges when competing for investment management opportunities with institutional investors, such as retirement plans and foundations. For example, institutional investors and their consultants often prefer to contract with large asset managers with brand recognition a...