this factor. (Table 6, pp. 247; and Tables 10-12, pp. 428

-29).

The differences noted above in average salary between black professionals and all professionals having equivalent government service are not constant over all levels of service. Rather the differences are smaller for professionals with low government service, and the disparity becomes greater as government service increases. This pattern indicates that the underutilization of black professionals in the Department occurs as they do not progress into the higher grades after gaining the experience which enables most professionals to enter these positions.

(Tables 10-12, pp. 428-29 ).

Examining length of DOL service sheds some additional light on the status of blacks in the Department. Black professionals tend to have government experience outside DOL to a greater extent than all professionals, especially among men in the Field. Apparently, a substantial proportion of the black professionals hired by the Department over the last six years came from other government agencies. Some of their underutilization appears to have occurred in these agencies. However, the relationship between govern

DOL service.

ment service and their underutilization also applies for Professionals in the lower grades have very substantial DOL service and this is especially true for

blacks. Grade does not rise for black professionals as

DOL service increases to the extent that it does for all

professionals.

The difference in average salary between

black professionals and all professionals with equal DOL service is nearly as large as a straight comparison that

does not take DOL service into account.

Nonblack minorities

16/

The average length of service of nonblack minority professionals is 12 years. This is 14 years less than the average for all professionals 131⁄2 years. This differ

ence prevails through grades GS 5-15. Except for males in the Field, the nonblack minorities have been able to overcome their less service and earn the same salary as all professionals.

(Tables 1-3, pp. 424-25 ).

Comparing the average salary of nonblack minority professionals to all professionals with equal service

16/

A series of tables using DOL service is available in the EEO office.

discloses that this factor accounts for part of the salary

difference between these two groups of employees. It

may be recalled that among the groups of nonblack minorities whose average salary was compared to that for all professionals, a difference existed for only the nonblack minority males in the Field. Standardizing for length of service, the difference in the average salary of nonblack minority male professionals and all male professionals in the Field is 2 percent. This is smaller than the 4 percent disparity which exists if length of service

is not considered. 17/ (Table 6, p. 247; Tables 10-12,

pp. 428-29).

Women

Length of service could represent an especially important explanatory factor of the underutilization of women. The absence of sufficient work experience as

result of time taken off to have children is often held to

17/

The underutilization discussed here applies only to that found Department-wide in the Field. This analysis does not attempt to explain the greater amount of underutilization that is found by examining the status of nonblack minorities in each administration in the Field.

account for the lower status of women.

The average length of service for female professionals, 13 years, is somewhat below the average for all professionals, 13 years. This disparity is slightly larger

in the National Office than in the Field. Thus, women professionals have only slightly less civilian government experience. Examining the service of women professionals by GS grade discloses that they have about one or two more years of service in grades GS 5-11, but have less service in the higher grades. GS grade increases with service for female professionals in nearly the same manner as for all professionals. Female professionals also have nearly the same DOL service, 7.8 years, as all professionals, 8.4 years. The disparity occurs in the Field, as these groups of employees have the same DOL service in the National Office. Overall, it does not appear that women professionals suffer from having substantially less government experience than all employees. (Chart 15, p. 49; Tables 1-3, pp. 424-25 ).

The difference in the average salary of women professionals compared to all professionals with equal service

is nearly as large as a straight comparison that ignores

service. The disparity in average salary between women and

all professionals is 18 percent standardizing for length

not considered.

of service as compared to 19 percent when this factor is This pattern also applies to black female professionals who earn 14 percent below the average of all black professionals whether or not length of service is taken into account. The relationships between length of

service and the status of women described above occur in

both the National Office and the Field.

18/

(Table 6, p. 247:

Tables 10-12, pp. 424-25).

b. Education

The educational data used in this analysis was collected by means of a sample of DOL employees. Although educational attainment represents an important determinant of an

employee's status, the computerized personnel system did

not include any such information.

As a result, the Task

Force conducted a survey to investigate educational attain

ment among DOL employees.19/

18/

The pattern just described for government service also holds for DOL service. Data on DOL service are available in the EEO Office.

19/

See Appendix A-2, p. 220 for a detailed description of the survey.