Changes in Federal Workforce Policy and Their Implications for Women and Minority Employees

NEW YORK, Dec. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A report by Asian Women Development Plan International: 

A new research report titled "Changes in Federal Workforce Policy and Their Implications for Women and Minority Employees" has been released examining how recent federal workforce changes are affecting women and minority groups across the United States. The report analyzes employment challenges following the January 2025 issuance of Executive Order 14173, which dismantled federal diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) programs.

According to the report, while recent federal employee surveys showed improving engagement and job satisfaction through mid 2024, workforce experts and employee advocates have warned that the 2025 rollback of DEI initiatives and proposed workforce reductions could increase turnover risks for minority employees. Similar to private corporations that reported being worse off after abandoning diversity programs, Surveys and federal workforce reports indicate increased concerns about discrimination among federal employees in recent years, alongside a nationwide rise in EEOC discrimination charges, which grew by more than nine percent in 2024. Recent national surveys show that a clear majority of Asian American and Pacific Islander adults oppose eliminating federal agencies and cutting federal DEI programs, recognizing that minority communities rely heavily on government services and civil rights protections.

The report traces U.S. diversity policy back to Kennedy's 1961 Affirmative Action directive and Biden's 2021 DEIA initiative, noting that President Trump's 2025 executive order has been widely viewed as a significant shift from prior federal diversity efforts. While recent federal data indicate rising minority and female participation, analysis of Office of Personnel Management FedScope data shows that, as of 2024, people of color make up about 41 percent of the federal workforce and women about 46 percent, yet deep inequalities persist. White males still comprise nearly half of Senior Executive Service (SES) members, and women account for only about one third of the most senior roles. Gender based pay gaps are also significantly larger among older federal employees, with EEOC research showing that age related differences alone can contribute more than 10,000 dollars annually to the gap for workers age forty and over, and women facing substantially wider disparities than men in similar roles. At the intersection of race and gender, disparities appear more pronounced. Black and Hispanic women face systemic barriers to promotion and significantly lower pay than both white men and women, despite comparable qualifications. Hispanic women experience the steepest decline in representation at higher grades. While institutional reforms have improved representation, existing disparities in advancement opportunities remain evident across demographic groups.

The report also highlights that frequent institutional disruptions, reclassifications, and administrative variability have contributed to uncertainty among employees, particularly within minority groups. Although the U.S. federal government has made notable progress over the past decades in advancing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA), the politicization of the civil service and the cyclical reversal of policy that results from changes in administration continuously impose challenges on minority groups. Research demonstrates that frequent institutional disruptions and job reclassifications correlate with reduced trust and lower willingness to remain in service among minority employees, who often connect career development concerns to systemic instability. The discontinuity further amplifies the structural disadvantages faced by minority civil servants in career advancement.

Citing findings from the MissionSquare Research Institute, the report notes that more than half of state and local government workers have considered leaving their jobs, with younger and Black employees especially likely to look elsewhere. In workplaces where employees do not experience inclusive or multicultural support, minority and female staff report lower trust and higher turnover intentions. One survey of prospective state government workers described a deep sense of uncertainty during lengthy recruitment and funding approval processes.

Reference: Changes in Federal Workforce Policy and Their Implications for Women and Minority Employees 

SOURCE Asian Women Development Plan International