The Forest Service Diversity & Inclusion Science Team has studied historical patterns, problems, and successes in the USDA Forest Service to help the agency achieve a workforce that reflects the diversity of the people served and become a rewarding place for all to work.

The Forest Service Diversity & Inclusion Science Team has established a set of studies to investigate demographic diversity (e.g., employee race/ethnicity, gender) across the entire agency, encompassing all deputy areas, job series, grades, and locations from 1995 to 2017. Northern Research Station scientists analyzed longitudinal trends in workforce composition, recruitment patterns, advancement, and separation. The analysis shows that employees from underrepresented backgrounds advance more slowly and are significantly more likely to be fired. One bright spot discovered is that trainee and internship programs are a powerful means of increasing diversity in the workforce—Hispanic and Black employees are much more likely to enter the agency through programs like these than other direct hire routes.

Another belief heard internally is that the Forest Service workforce is representative of the rural populations the agency serves. Scientists conducted a spatial analysis of duty station diversity in the local context and found this to be patently untrue. Findings suggest that in all but two duty stations (i.e., in over 95 percent of the worksites) Forest Service employees are less diverse than the population in surrounding areas. The goal of this research is not only to identify needed improvements but to provide information that can help the Forest Service with its efforts to create a diverse, representative workforce where all can thrive.