Kentucky reaches minority employment goal for 6th time

For Immediate Release (Clarification)
July 8, 2002
Contact: Channell Barbour or Terry Sebastian (cell: 502-682-9405) at (502) 564-2611

Kentucky reaches minority employment goal for 6^th time

FRANKFORT, KY - Governor Paul Patton and Secretary of Personnel Carol M. Palmore announced today that the Commonwealth of Kentucky has reached its minority employment goal for an unprecedented 6^th consecutive reporting period.

The minority employment goal for state government is 7.52 percent and the current minority employment percentage is 7.64 percent. The goal is based on the available minority population in Kentucky. Sec. Palmore attributed this achievement to Governor Paul Patton’s commitment to diversity and his directive to persons within his administration to ensure that Kentucky state government is reflective of the state's diverse population.

“My administration has worked hard to promote minority hiring throughout state government, which was a goal of mine when I first took office six years ago,” Patton. “Kentucky has an exceptional recruitment plan and management employee training program that makes us one of the best in the nation.”

In addition to the good news about the employment rates, the Commonwealth of Kentucky is once again a leader in closing the gap on pay for minorities and females. National trends show the average pay for minorities is about .80 cents on the dollar compared to whites. According to a report issued by the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights entitled THE STATUS OF FEMALES AND MINORITIES IN KENTUCKY STATE GOVERNMENT, the average pay for minorities in the state workforce is nearly .90 cents on the dollar.

This report also shows the same trends as it relates to the salaries of females. The Kentucky average is once again .90 cents on the dollar whereas the national average is 73 cents on the dollar. "This is not to say we still do not have a lot of work to do to eliminate the gap completely but considering how the rest of the nation is looking, Kentucky state government is a role model when it comes to improving fairness and equity in the workplace" Secretary Palmore said. "As Governor Patton has repeatedly said, state government should set the example for the rest of the Commonwealth."

Governor Patton and his administration have made many efforts to improve the diversity of state government and to also ensure fairness in terms of compensation. The Governor's Wage Equity Plan has been a major force in raising the minimum salaries of employees.

Since the introduction of Wage Equity in 2000, salaries at the bottom end of the salary scale have been raised over 16 percent, and many job classes have been raised up to 3 pay grade levels. Credit also goes to the Office of Minority Affairs and the Commission on Women, both located in the Office of the Governor and the State EEO Office in the Personnel Cabinet for its recruiting and placement programs. Partnerships and a sense of teamwork have allowed these and other stakeholders to send out the positive message of inclusion and fairness in the workplace.

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