TESTIMONY
Council Member Nantasha M. Williams on the Disproportionate Impact of COVID-19 on the Municipal Workforce, Particularly Female Employees of Color
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Council Member Nantasha M. Williams presented an analysis showing that the COVID-19 crisis had a disproportionate impact on female employees of color in the municipal workforce.
- She displayed data indicating agencies with predominantly female and/or non-white employees, such as the Department of Human Services, Human Resources, Social Services, Probation, and Education, experienced substantial reductions in headcount from 2019 to 2021.
- The Department of Human Services saw an almost 19% decrease in headcount during this period.
- In contrast, agencies with predominantly male and/or white employees like NYPD, DSNY, and DOT maintained relatively stable headcounts with decreases below 5%.
- Some agencies, including the fire department, parks and recreation, ACS, and the office of technology and innovation, actually increased staff headcount.
Nantasha M. Williams
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So if you could turn your attention again to the screen, there's a bar chart showing the percent change of agency head count before and after the peak of COVID.
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The agencies with head count decreases are in red.
0:49:46
This I don't think is the right.
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Is this the right turn?
0:49:51
Yes.
0:49:52
Okay.
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I'm red.
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While those which increases are in blue.
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The agencies are ordered with those on top having the largest reductions in headcount.
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This year's pay equity analysis indicated that the COVID 19 crisis disproportionately affected female employees of color.
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As we can see from this graphic from 2019 to 2021, agencies with predominantly female and or non white employees such as the Department of Human Services, the Human Resources department, and the Department of Social Services as well as the Department of Probation and the Department of Education experienced substantial reductions in headcount.
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In particular, DHS experience an almost 19% decrease.
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In contrast, agencies with predominantly male and or white employees like NYPD, DSNY, and DOT maintained relatively stable head counts with decreases below 5%, and in fact, the fire department and the parks and recreation department, ACS, and the office of technology and innovation increase staff headcount.
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As we look at this data, and note the disproportionate impact that headcount reductions have had had on women of color in the municipal workforce.
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What steps have DCAS and the Mayor's Pay Equity cabinet taken to address the recruitment and retention of female employees of color?
