PHILADELPHIA – Today, the City of Philadelphia, through its Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ODEI), released the 2021 City of Philadelphia Workforce Diversity Profile and Annual Report. As in previous years, the 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. All data is for Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) and is reflective as of June 30, 2021.

“Moving into the second half of my second term as mayor of this great city, our Administration’s work continues to be driven by key priorities—including building a diverse, inclusive, efficient, and effective government,” noted Mayor Kenney.

“Over the past six years, we’ve worked with City departments to develop and advance strategies that support a welcoming, inclusive, and fair work environment so that employees can contribute their full potential and develop professionally. We continue to make progress in improving the diversity of our exempt workforce, but we also recognize that there is more work to do. That is why building a workforce that is more inclusive and representative of the people it serves remains a top priority within our Administration.”

The full-time, permanent exempt workforce—the segment of the City’s workforce hired outside of the civil service examination process—is the primary focus of the report. This report only evaluates the portions of the exempt workforce that are under the purview of the executive branch; it excludes information from independent offices and agencies including the City Commissioners, the City Controller’s Office, City Council, the District Attorney’s Office, the First Judicial District, the Register of Wills, and the Sheriff’s Office.

The analysis looks at the racial, ethnic and gender breakdown of the workforce. Several distinct categories within the exempt workforce—including senior leadership, Cabinet members, and the executive exempt workforce (those exempt employees who make over $90,000 per year)—were also examined.

“The Administration continues to make gains year to year in the overall diversity of the City’s workforce,” said newly appointed Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer Nefertiri Sickout. “As the City continues its journey through the effects of the pandemic, we see improvement in our diverse workforce numbers. Compared to Fiscal Year 2016, we’ve seen a 3.83 percentage point increase in the number of non-white employees in the exempt workforce, and a 7.30 percentage point increase in the number of diverse employees earning over $90,000. We believe that with continued work, and the implementation of new strategies that support an equitable and inclusive work environment, the future of City government looks positive for those currently employed by the City, and for new candidates seeking a workplace that reflects the diversity of our residents.”

Key findings of the 2021 report include:

• The overall municipal workforce—including exempt and civil service positions—is composed of a majority of people of color (60.00 percent), with 47.96 percent of employees identifying as Black or African American.
• The majority of new hires are people of color (66.46 percent); 50.55 percent are Black or African American, 6.46 percent are Hispanic/Latino/a/x, and 7.09 percent are Asian.
• Black or African American employees are slightly overrepresented in separations from City employment in FY21; Black or African American employees comprise 47.96 percent of the overall municipal workforce but represent 52.05 percent of separations.
• Representation of women in exempt positions is slightly higher than the percentage of women in Philadelphia’s population, as are women in executive exempt positions; women are 53 percent of Philadelphia’s population, 53.89 percent of the exempt workforce, and 54.21 percent of the executive exempt workforce.
• Compared to the start of the Kenney Administration in FY16, there has been a 3.83 percentage point increase in the number of diverse employees in the exempt workforce, with people of color comprising 50.29 percent of the exempt workforce in FY16 and 54.12 percent of the exempt workforce in FY21.
• Within the exempt workforce, the largest gains in diverse representation continue to be made by increasing the number of Asian and Hispanic/Latino/a/x employees.
• Compared to the start of the Kenney Administration in FY16, there has been a 7.30 percentage point increase in the number of diverse employees who earn $90,000 and above in the exempt workforce.
• The City’s Senior Leadership—defined by ODEI as department heads, Commissioners, Deputy Managing Directors, and Cabinet members—is 55.56 percent Non-Hispanic White, 37.78 percent Black or African American, and 6.67 percent Hispanic or Latino/x; this portion of the workforce is 51.11 percent female and 48.89 percent male.
• The Mayor’s Cabinet is 60.00 percent Non-Hispanic White, 26.67 percent Black or African American, and 13.33 percent Hispanic/Latino/a/x; 46.67 percent of Cabinet members are male, and 53.33 percent are female.

View the 2021 Workforce Diversity Profile and Annual Report online.