ALEXANDRIA, Va. (April 14, 2021) – Today, the National Credit Union Administration released its Office of Minority and Women Inclusion (OMWI) annual report detailing the agency’s progress in 2020 in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in its workforce. The report also highlights the agency’s efforts to ensure fair and inclusive business practices as well as assess the diversity policies and practices of the entities it regulates. The full OMWI 2020 Annual Report to Congress can be found on the NCUA website.
“This report reflects the agency’s ongoing commitment to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion as values reflected in our policies and practices,” Chairman Todd M. Harper said. “The NCUA remains deeply dedicated to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in its workforce, business activities, and the credit union system, and creating a greater sense of belonging within the agency for all employees.”
Among the accomplishments highlighted in the report:
- 41.5 percent of new hires in 2020 were people of color. Also, gender diversity among the agency’s senior executives achieved parity for the first time.
- 15.4 percent and 4.2 percent of the NCUA’s workforce self-identify as having disabilities and targeted disabilities, respectively. These figures exceed the federal employment goals established in Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
- 23.4 percent of the NCUA’s workforce participated in employee resource groups, more than twice the benchmark participation rate for successful programs like these.
- 188 federally insured credit unions submitted Voluntary Credit Union Diversity Self-Assessments in 2020, up 59.3 percent from 118 submissions in 2019.
- 33.2 percent of the NCUA’s total reportable contracting dollars for the year were awarded to minority- and women-owned businesses.
- 15 facilitated, open discussions on racial injustice and racism were hosted by OMWI in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd and the nationwide Black Lives Matter demonstrations, and for nearly all special emphasis programs observances, OMWI hosted an event featuring a guest speaker who provided a range of experiences and insights into how to be more intentionally inclusive in the workplace.
“Unquestionably, 2020 was one of the most challenging years in recent history,” Harper said. “Despite the unexpected changes the COVID-19 pandemic caused to the agency’s operations, OMWI skillfully ensured that the NCUA continued to adhere to its mission and values.”
NCUA’s Office of Minority and Women Inclusion oversees all agency matters relating to measuring, monitoring, and establishing policies for diversity in NCUA’s management, employment, and business activities. It also assesses the diversity policies and practices of NCUA’s regulated entities, excluding the enforcement of statutes, regulations, and executive orders pertaining to civil rights.