Workforce Diversity Profile & Annual Report

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 Introduction   Letter from the Mayor   Executive Summary 

Section I:  Philadelphia's Population  Section II:  Total Municipal Workforce  Section III:  Exempt Workforce  Section IV:  Executive Exempt Workforce  Section V:  Senior Leadership  Section VI:  Cabinet   Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities   Office of LGBT Affairs   Promoting an Inclusive Organizational Culture   Acknowledgments 

The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ODEI) supports Mayor Kenney’s commitment to building a more equitable city, where determinants of success are not defined by race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, income, disability, or neighborhood. The establishment of a diverse and equitable workforce ensures that all City employees are provided an opportunity to excel within the City government.  Services and financial investments into City operations provide a greater commitment to our neighborhoods when diversity, equity, and inclusion are the foundation of local government. We strive to create a Philadelphia where local government and community members work in partnership to dismantle structural and cultural barriers that prevent the creation of an equitable Philadelphia where everyone thrives.

2021 brought optimism as Philadelphia began to reopen and our workers and residents entered a new and different world in the aftermath of the pandemic.  The City made progress on controlling the COVID-19 virus spread through the distribution and administration of vaccines to residents.  Steps were taken to address the hardships experienced in the previous year and both City and community leaders continued to work diligently to move Philadelphia forward.   Although there have been some strides in improving community relations, there is still much work to be done. Housing and food insecurity, racial injustice, and community violence are among the many prevalent concerns we continue to address. 

As we navigate the challenges we face, the City of Philadelphia is committed more than ever to strengthening diversity, equity, and inclusion in our workforce and communities. Our actions this year continued to focus on racial equity, workplace inclusion, and the creation of pathways to success through a diverse workforce.  As we prepare for the new year, the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion will continue to support Mayor Kenney’s vision of a city that is accessible and equitable to all residents.

The 2022 Workforce Diversity Profile and Annual Report provides an in-depth summary of the demographic data of the City of Philadelphia’s municipal full-time workforce, including a more detailed examination of the exempt workforce for the City’s fiscal year 2022 (FY22), which spans from July 1, 2021- June 30, 2022. This report excludes information from the Board of Ethics, City Commissioners, the City Controller’s Office, City Council, the District Attorney’s Office, the First Judicial District, and the Sheriff’s Office. Data included in this report is limited to full-time, permanent employees. Data on seasonal, part-time, and temporary workers have been excluded from the review. 

The report begins with a review of Philadelphia’s population demographics, before reviewing the current demographic breakdowns of the City’s workforce. A new feature to this year’s report is a breakdown of the demographic information of Philadelphia’s adult population, or those 18 years or older at the time of the 2020 Decennial Census. The overall municipal workforce—including exempt and civil service positions—is composed of a majority of people of color (approx. 61 percent), which is similar to the diversity of Philadelphia’s communities, with 65.5 percent of residents identifying as a racial or ethnic minority group and more racially or ethnically diverse than Philadelphia’s adult population, with almost 56 percent of individuals identifying as a racial or ethnic minority group.

Progress continues to be made in the overall diversity of the City’s workforce, but the gains are not even. More work needs to be done to promote workforce equity, in which the City reflects the diversity of Philadelphia’s communities across all functions and leadership levels. 

Compared to Fiscal Year (FY) 2016, the overall diversity of the exempt workforce—those employees hired outside the civil service exam process—has increased by over five percentage points (5.9 percent). Regarding the executive exempt workforce, those positions with a salary of $90,000 or greater, diversity has increased by more than eight percentage points (8.8 percent) since FY 2016, with 46.8 percent of executive exempt employees now identifying as diverse.

While we are dedicated to improving representation across all categories of diversity, we acknowledge that there is more work to do and that progress has not been even. The City has continued to increase the representation of Asian employees, who now comprise 7.2 percent of the exempt workforce, an increase of 2.6 percent since the beginning of the administration. At the executive exempt level, nearly equivalent gains have also been made, with representation of Asian employees increasing by 3.2 percent since 2016, and an increase of 1.3 percent since last year.

Since 2016, representation of Hispanic/Latino/a/x employees has increased by 1.8 percent. At the executive exempt level, representation has also improved by two percent since 2016, with Hispanic/Latino/a/x employees now comprising six percent of the executive exempt workforce, along with increased representation each year. 

Regarding Black and African American employees, representation has remained similar to 2016.  Since 2016, Black and African American representation in the exempt workforce has increased by 0.9 percent, making up 37.9 percent of the exempt workforce, which is approaching parity with to the city’s overall adult African American population of 40.4 percent. In the executive exempt workforce Black and African American representation has increased by over one percent since FY 21, making up 32.23 percent of the City’s executive exempt workforce. 

In terms of gender representation, a slight majority of the total city adult population identifies as female (53.7 percent). In the City’s municipal workforce, however, female employees continue to be underrepresented, comprising just 35.29 percent of the workforce.  Within the exempt workforce, representation of women more closely approximates representation in the overall population, with women representing more than half of the exempt workforce (55.2 percent) and executive exempt (55.8 percent) workforce. 

Workforce data is also further broken down, looking at categories such as hires and separations, employee age, and diversity by department. 

The 2022 report highlights the Administration’s efforts to improve organizational culture and climate and discusses ODEI’s cross-agency collaboration on critical workforce culture strategies. The Office of LGBT Affairs reflects on the importance of an intersectional approach to equity and highlights efforts to better track the diversity of sexual orientation and gender identity representation in the City’s workforce.  The Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities shares information concerning the City's recently launched Disabilities Characteristics Map and the status of the City's ADA Transition Plan. 

The Kenney Administration is committed to diversifying the City’s workforce and making sure all communities feel welcome, valued, and included in their workplace. The Administration will continue its efforts to improve diversity in the exempt and executive exempt workforce while striving to build a workforce reflective of the residents of the City of Philadelphia.

The Kenney Administration aims to build a government workforce that reflects the population of the city—across the breadth of available positions and throughout all leadership levels. This section provides demographic information about Philadelphia’s population. For the first time, the FY 22 report includes data on both Philadelphia’s total population and Philadelphia’s adult population. This will better enable a comparison of the City’s workforce diversity and the total working-age population of the city. Information in this section is based on data from the 2019 American Community Survey (ACS) five-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.

This section describes the racial, ethnic, and gender distribution of the City of Philadelphia’s entire municipal workforce. This includes full-time permanent employees, both civil service and exempt within the executive branch. The exempt workforce are employees who are hired outside of the civil service examination process. In FY 22, diversity of the total municipal workforce remained relatively flat, rising slightly to 60.7 percent from 60.3 percent in FY 21 * . Overall, racial/ethnic diversity of the total municipal workforce is approaching comparable representation to the city’s population, where 65.5 percent of Philadelphians identify as a race/ethnicity other than White, non-Hispanic. 

The total workforce under the purview of the executive branch at the end of FY 22 was 23,274 employees.

New hires continue to be the biggest window of opportunity to increase diverse representation within our workforce. Part of the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion’s workforce strategy includes meeting quarterly with all Commissioners and Department heads. During these meetings, we discuss open positions within departments and how to improve the recruitment of diverse applicants for vacant roles. In FY 22, the City hired more than 1,800 employees. 1,190 or 72.7% of these new hires were from racially/ethnically diverse backgrounds.

In FY 22 the City experienced separation trends that are being felt across the national labor market. The global pandemic amplified inequities and precipitated an increase in employee resignations across the country, which has become commonly referred to as the Great Resignation. The City has experienced a similar phenomenon, although declines in the total number of municipal employees began prior to the pandemic.  In FY 22, a total of 2,371 employees separated from the City. 1,403 or 64.6% of all separations were by employees from racially/ethnically diverse backgrounds. In response to these trends, ODEI is leading efforts to better understand the reasons for employee separations. As discussed in more detail in this report, ODEI is a key stakeholder in a cross-agency effort to assess and improve the City’s organizational culture. 

In this report, we’ve included three categories of separations for the total municipal workforce. Figure 2.6 represents all separations, which includes those who have separated under any circumstances, including retirement, from the City. Figure 2.7 captures those who retired from the City in FY22. Figure 2.8 represents those who left the City for any reason other than retirement.

2.14 Race and Ethnicity by Department or Office

Exempt employees are all employees who are not hired through the civil service examination process. These employees made up 1,795 full-time members, or 7.71 percent of the City’s workforce as of June 30, 2022. The exempt workforce continues to be the greatest area for opportunity when it comes to the hiring and retention of diverse employees because these employees are not subject to the civil service examination process. Year-to-year, there has been a definitive increase in the racial and ethnic diversity of the exempt workforce. At the start of the Kenney Administration, about 50 percent of the exempt workforce identified as racially/ethnically diverse. As of FY 22, nearly 56 percent of exempt employees identified as from a diverse background. We are encouraged by the progress that we’ve made during the Administration and will continue our push to improve exempt employee diversity in FY 23.

3.9 Exempt Employees by Race and Ethnicity by Department or Office

The Executive Exempt Workforce consists of those exempt employees who earn a salary of $90,000 or more a year. The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion has identified $90,000 and above as the compensation level that captures the vast majority of executives in the government. There may be circumstances where an employee earning less than $90,000 per year has executive responsibilities and functions. Since the beginning of the Kenney Administration growth from diverse communities within the Executive Exempt Workforce has increased from 38 percent to 44.9 percent, an increase of 6.9 percent.

4.5 Executive Exempt Employees by Race and Ethnicity per Department or Office

The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion has defined Senior Leadership as Department Heads, Commissioners, Deputy Managing Directors and Cabinet Members. Over the last fiscal year, the administration saw no change in the overall diversity within senior leadership in FY 22. Growth in the diversity of senior leadership will be a continued area of focus for the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in FY 23.

The Mayor’s Cabinet consists of top leaders in the executive branch that help shape policy and operations and carry out the Administration’s priorities through the departments they oversee. There was not a change in overall diversity of the cabinet in FY 22.

Amy Nieves, Executive Director, Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities 

The Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) aims to ensure equity, inclusion, and opportunity for residents with disabilities throughout our community. The Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities houses the Mayor’s Commission on People with Disabilities and the Office of ADA Compliance. Both offices work to make Philadelphia a better place for people with disabilities. 

The Mayor’s Commission on People with Disabilities advocates for policies, programs, and systemic changes that maximize independence and community integration for Philadelphians with disabilities. The Office of ADA Compliance writes policies and procedures and develops resources to ensure equal access to City-provided services, programs, and activities for people with disabilities

MOPD launched a disabilities characteristics map that showcases the diverse disability representation of the city in January 2022 with support from Philly Counts. Almost 17% of Philadelphians are people with disabilities. This map serves as a resource to show where Philadelphians with disabilities live throughout the city. Users are encouraged to explore the map and find out more about the disability representation in their neighborhood, district, and city. Please access the map  here . 

To ensure access to all City services and programs, a self-evaluation was conducted to determine gaps in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Based on the self-evaluation, the City created an ADA Transition Plan focused on Title II of the ADA, which prohibits discrimination based on disability for state and local government services. Members of the public had the opportunity to provide feedback on the draft ADA Transition Plan during a  public comment period  managed by the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities. The final plan reflects changes to address some of the feedback, and all public comments received were included in Appendix II of the ADA Transition Plan. The plan is currently in the implementation stage.

INTERSECTING IDENTITIES

Celena Morrison, Executive Director, Mayor’s Office of LGBT Affairs 

We can think about intersectionality in many different ways because many folks have spoken and written on the subject. Believe it or not, as an open black trans youth it was a long time before I truly understood how anti-transgender bias is combined with structural racism, and how it meant that I had and would continue to experience devastating levels of discrimination. Having intersectional identities often generates a feeling that one doesn’t completely belong in one group or another. In many cases, this can lead to isolation, depression, and other mental health issues.

The effects of intersectionality are often felt in the workplace, where employees who belong to two or more underrepresented categories experience oppression and lack of opportunity in unique ways. The intersectional experience is greater than the sum of racism and sexism. A gay man has to deal with homophobia. A black man has to deal with racism. But a black trans woman will have to deal with transphobia, sexism, and racism, often at the same time. It is often the case that they will face racism inside the LGBT community and transphobia in the black community. We understand that any analysis that does not take intersectionality into account cannot sufficiently address the particular manner in which people with multiple marginalized identities are subordinated. This leads to greater wage inequality, lack of professional development, hiring discrimination and inequities in unemployment, increased sexual harassment, and higher turnover rates.

As Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of LGBT Affairs and someone with multiple identities, I support the City’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The City has launched the Employee Self-Identification Census. The mechanism, housed in OnePhilly employee self-service, allows employees to voluntarily self-identify sexual orientation and gender identity with expanded sexual orientation and gender identity (SO/GI) options available. Collecting this data allows the City to implement strategies to build a culture that supports all employees, in departments across City government, and measure the progress towards our diversity goals.

Since launching the Census in the Spring of 2022, we have been encouraged by participation from employees across many departments of our diverse City workforce. So far we have received more than 680 responses from 41 of 48 City departments. While we do not yet have enough information to determine whether the responses we have received are representative of the City workforce as a whole, we do know that City employees reflect a wide range of sexual orientations and gender identities. Based on the data we have collected to this point, we have strategized how best to encourage increased participation, so that we may soon have a better understanding of the sexual orientation and gender identity characteristics of the  City’s workforce. Our goal with this data is to utilize it to develop policies and procedures that foster a more affirming workplace environment for our LGBTQ+ employees, regardless of which City department or agency they work in.

We need to not view oppression as a competition, but as societal and cultural hurdles that impact so many of us in disproportionate ways. Through our community engagement, the Office of LGBT Affairs will continue to partner closely with organizations across the City to promote intersectionality and leverage our combined resources to deliver equity and inclusion for LGBTQ+  communities. I am proud of the support that the Office has provided to the community, as well as our amazing culture of inclusion, but there is still much work to do. We all need to change our mindsets not only around how we view our identities but the identities of others too.

For questions about the Employee Self-Identification Census, please refer to the One Philly ESIC User Guide for specific steps on how to complete the Census.

Those with questions or in need of support are encouraged to contact the Office of LGBT Affairs at lgbtinfo@phila.gov.

Josie Pickens, Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer

Cherelle Dessus, Talent Recruitment and Retention Specialist

Brenna Schmidt, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator

Télyse Masaoy, Racial Equity Strategist and Content Creator

Mayor’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion 

The 2022 annual Workforce DEI Report reveals that in the past year, there has been a decrease of diverse employee separations in the exempt workforce and increases in diverse representation in both the exempt and executive exempt workforces. To achieve greater progress in these areas, employees need to feel safe and respected and have opportunities for skill development and promotions.

The Mayor’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI) is committed to creating a culture of inclusion and professional development throughout the City of Philadelphia’s workforce. Building on  Executive Orders  1-16 and 1-20, ODEI has adopted a multi-pronged approach to addressing organizational culture, which includes extensive collaboration with City leaders to prioritize efforts to improve employee experiences and promote a culture of inclusion, safety, and belonging. 

Workforce DEI and Racial Equity Strategies 

The ODEI team includes a Talent Recruitment and Retention Specialist, a Racial Equity Strategist and Content Creator, and a DEI Coordinator who manage and coordinate the Office’s Workforce DEI and Racial Equity Strategies. Through the Office’s Workforce DEI Strategy, ODEI collaborates with every City department to identify and overcome barriers to  creating and sustaining an environment of equity, professional development, and inclusion. Through the Office’s Racial Equity Strategy, ODEI facilitates a departmental cohort process, which supports City employees to identify root causes of disparate outcomes in department operations, policies, and practices. By the end of 2023, all City departments will have developed initial Racial Equity Action Plans identifying goals to increase success for all groups through targeted strategies focused on the elimination or altering of government policies, practices, attitudes and cultural messages that influence differential outcomes by race. Additionally, ODEI is launching a Racial Equity Community of Practice to sustain the impact of racial equity across administrations. The Community of Practice will provide professional development opportunities to City staff and bring together leaders to workshop racial equity initiatives.

Citywide Department DEI Plans

In 2022, ODEI launched a comprehensive Citywide DEI Plan to measure departments’ progress toward key DEI goals, objectives, and strategies. As part of the Citywide DEI Plan, departments are required to report on their efforts to create workforce equity and inclusive workplace culture.  The Citywide DEI Plan aims to promote transparency, consistency, and   intention in each department’s DEI strategies. To obtain progress, leadership must be purposeful in identifying practices that contribute to workforce equity and inclusion while being committed to reducing barriers that challenge diverse recruitment and equitable opportunities for employees. These plans will allow departments to improve their approach to recruitment, retention, and promotion of diverse talent. Where departments have been successful in their efforts to create equity, department plans allow the City to share best practices and celebrate success.

City Resource Groups 

ODEI works directly with employees to improve their experiences by managing Citywide City Resource Groups (CRGs). CRGs  foster shared and inclusive spaces for diverse groups of employees.  City employees are encouraged to create and join CRGs to connect monthly to focus on networking, current issues, and talent development. As the workforce continues to respond to the impacts of the pandemic, including remote and hybrid work models, employee engagement and connectivity prove to be important factors in retaining talent in a competitive workforce.

ODEI understands that partnerships are a core component of improving the City’s organizational culture. Lasting change cannot occur without a whole of government approach, which centers DEI while including City employees at every level in the development of solutions. In 2022, ODEI is partnering with several City offices to create additional resources and support for employees. The Chief Administrative Office (CAO), the Office of Human Resources, the Office of Labor Relations, the Office of Inspector General, and ODEI have partnered to create a first-of-its-kind Ombudsperson position, which will provide employees with an additional resource for the voluntary mediation of workplace concerns. In addition, ODEI is partnering with these same offices and the City’s Service Design Studio within the CAO to improve how City offices work with each other to address employee concerns. ODEI also works closely with the Budget Office and the Planning Commission to infuse racial equity into the City's budget process. ODEI is helping to build the capacity of City staff who work on the budget to be able to prioritize and evaluate racial equity in their budget requests. Finally, ODEI is partnering with the Office of Human Resources to provide expanded professional development opportunities, training, and coaching to City leaders. 

As the Kenney Administration enters its last year, the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion recognizes that improving and supporting an inclusive and equitable culture is key to improving service delivery, empowering employees to build and utilize their skills, and ensuring that Philadelphians have access to opportunities regardless of their demographics. As we celebrate progress that has been made, we work to fill the gaps in which we fall short of being fully representative of Philadelphia; rich in diversity and culture.

The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion would like to thank the following offices and individuals for their valuable assistance in producing this report:

Office of the Mayor

Office of the Chief Administrative Officer

Office of Human Resources 

Office of Innovation and Technology (OIT)

Kistine Carolan, Open Data Program Manager, CityGeo, OIT

Charlotte Shade, Lead GIS Analyst, CityGeo, OIT

FY 21 counts in this report vary slightly from the  FY 21 PDF report . All numbers are accurate and only vary based on the date the data was pulled from HR’s database. For example, HR staff may have corrected data for June 30, 2021, or employees may have added or deleted their racial/ethnic information.