Continuing progress toward racial and gender pay equality in the federal service

Although White men continue to dominate the middle management and higher levels of the federal service, representation of Blacks, Hispanics, and White women is increasing at an accelerating pace Although women and minorities continue to earn substantially less than White men in the federal service, their average salaries have risen steadily relative to those of White men over the past two decades. Rising qualifications and improving treatment within the civil service have both contributed to this progress, with improving treatment appearing to be the more important cause Women and minorities continue to earn substantially less than comparably educated and experienced White men, but unexplained salary differences are shrinking steadily and at an accelerating pace, though more slowly than many would like A Ithough recent passage of the Cali-omia Civil Rights Initiative suggests a widespread belief that affirmative action and &dquo;preferential treatment&dquo; of women and mmorities have led to &dquo;reverse discrimma