Massachusetts has diversified its state workforce, but some agencies lag behind

Over the past decade, Massachusetts state agencies took steps to diversify their workforce, hitting an important milestone in 2022 — the percentage of minority workers employed now matches the commonwealth’s minority population.

But there still are many executive branch agencies that fall far short of that mark, according to the state’s own diversity data.

The Department of Conservation and Recreation — the agency that manages parks, pools and campsites — has consistently failed to employ a minority workforce that comes anywhere close to reflecting the diversity of the population it serves.

Racial and ethnic minorities make up 31% of Massachusetts’ population , a benchmark calculated by the University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute based on the most recent U.S. Census data. The state still uses an outdated benchmark of 26% for its own hiring goals.

But DCR’s current workforce of 1,019 full-time employees consists of only 12% racial minorities — a figure that has hardly advanced over the past decade. In 2014, the DCR minority workforce was at 11%. And most of the minority employees who are working at DCR are functioning in lower-level jobs such as maintenance workers, technicians and office/clerical workers.

DCR Commissioner Brian Arrigo told GBH News that past administrations are to blame for his agency’s lagging diversity numbers, but that the situation is changing under Gov. Maura Healey.

“With the Healey administration there has been commitments around additional funding for the agency which we haven’t seen in a very long time,” said Arrigo, a former mayor of Revere. He noted that DCR has been allocated $5 million for increased staffing.

“There have been commitments to promote the agency publicly [to let people] know that this is a great place to work,” Arrigo added. He said his predecessors “have tried to promote diversity in hiring, but it wasn’t supported the way that the Healey administration is supporting us.”

DCR said it is taking steps to diversify its workforce, including running recruitment announcements on Spanish and Portuguese language radio broadcasts, and hosting programs for students from local high schools and colleges that serve diverse communities.

Other state agencies are lagging behind as well.

The Massachusetts State Police has 3,183 full-time employees — including both troopers and civilian staffers — but only 16% are racial or ethnic minorities. This is an improvement from 10% in 2014, but most of that growth is in lower-level jobs. Appointed last October, State Police Col. Geoffrey Noble refused multiple requests for an interview, through his spokesperson.

Government jobs can serve as a pathway to economic advancement for people of color, said Rahsaan Hall, president and CEO of the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts.

“It’s about ensuring that everyone in this country has an opportunity to participate in wealth creation and building out a better society,” Hall said. “And that happens when more people from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives are included in the workforce. And it’s necessary because generations of people have been excluded from employment opportunities.”

Given the uncertainty about diversity programs at the federal level as the Trump administration seeks to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, Hall added that the state’s commitment shouldn’t waver.

“I think it’s important to underscore the fact that DEI initiatives are still legal,” he said.

In contrast to DCR and the State Police, there are some state agencies that have exhibited strong records of diversity.

The Department of Public Health, for example, has 3,210 full-time employees consisting of 41% minorities, with strong minority representation in high-level professional jobs.

“We have been spending a significant amount of time and energy to make sure that our workforce is really reflective of the communities we serve,” said Department of Public Health Commissioner Robert Goldstein. “To do that, we have to think differently. One of the ways we do that is by focusing on people’s experiences and their skills. That makes it so that folks who may not qualify from an academic perspective for a lot of reasons still have an opportunity to work here at the department.”

And, Goldstein added, “Diversity is not just the right thing to do, it’s actually the smart thing to do because it leads to better decision-making.”

Another state agency with strong diversity numbers is the Department of Early Education and Care. Of the department’s 307 full-time employees, 41% are minorities, with strong minority representation in upper level jobs. Last year, the agency hired its first director of diversity, equity and inclusion, who is involved in the hiring and on-boarding of staff.

“Since 2022, EEC has been focused on increasing diversity among the agency’s top senior leadership resulting in the recruitment and retention of leaders who themselves are committed to equity and inclusion among their teams,” the department said in a statement.

So why can’t some state agencies keep up when it comes to representing the diversity of the state population? There is no simple answer, according to one state official.

“A number of factors can impact any one agency’s diversity metrics at a given point in time,” said Sandra Borders, director of the state Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity, in a statement.

Borders pointed to a number of factors that can influence the diversity process: where the job openings are advertised, the availability of employee development opportunities, having staff dedicated to diversity initiatives, and employee turnover.

“We know that we must and will continue to stay focused on ensuring that our state workforce reflects all the people of Massachusetts,” she said.

That diversity can improve how citizens interact with government agencies, said Oren Sellstrom, litigation director at Lawyers for Civil Rights.

“The individuals who are working in government should reflect the people they are serving,” Sellstrom said. “That’s true across the board and certainly in areas where diversity is visible, like with state troopers and in other public safety positions. Diversity in the workforce helps bolster trust and accountability with the community that is being served.”

Colman M. Herman is a Boston-based freelance reporter.