Small Strides Made In City Of Sacramento’s Diversity Hiring, But Salary Gap Remains Wide, Audit Shows

Updated Thursday, 4:57 p.m.

In the years since the city of Sacramento began tracking the demographics of its employees, little has shifted in the racial makeup and salary gaps of its workers, a new audit shows.

The findings were part of the Sacramento City Auditor’s office 2020 demographic report, which was released last week along with the results of a corresponding employee survey. 

“I think the key is to continue to monitor and do this type of analysis, so we can stay aware of how things are changing and where things are changing,” City Auditor Jorge Oseguera said.

The audit highlighted the same issues revealed by its predecessors: City employees remain overwhelmingly white and male.

The workplace survey, a new aspect of the city’s demographic reporting, includes responses from 800 employees and shows some city employees of color experience race-based discrimination and microaggressions in the workplace. 

Here are some other points from the demographic report and the workplace survey: 

Gender Disparities Remain

According to the report, city staff is currently 66% men and 34% women, a split that has held relatively constant over the past four years. For only full-time employees, the difference is even more stark — 70% of full-time city employees are men and 30% are women. 

Certain departments are skewed in terms of gender — the technology department is 84% men, the police department is 81% men and the city clerk’s office is all women.

Race And Ethnicity Are Main Determinants Of Experience As A City Employee

Both the demographic report and workplace survey show that employees of color have a different experience working for the city than their white colleagues. 

Overall, city staff is 52% white, a slight decrease from 2016 when white employees made up 55% of the workforce. Meanwhile, 19% are Hispanic, 10% are Black and 9% are Asian — statistics that have barely moved over the past four years. 

By contrast, 32% of Sacramento residents are white, 31% are Hispanic, 11% are Black and 16% are Asian. 

Aimee Zenzele Barnes, the city’s Diversity and Equity Manager, said changing the demographics of the city’s workforce is a slow process. 

“This problem didn’t happen overnight as well, so it’s going to take vigilant and monthly and yearly practice to swing it in the other direction,” Barnes said. She added that her position was only filled last year, so it may take a few more years to see change. 

The audit’s breakdown of the city’s newest employees shows a new hire pool that closely reflects Sacramento’s demographics. 

Additionally, the workplace survey showed that employees of color were more likely to report negative treatment based on race. Twenty-one percent of employees of color reported they had experienced or witnessed race-based descrimination, while only 12% of white employees reported the same. 

Meanwhile, 84% of white city employees felt they were treated fairly at work. Just 67% of employees of color agreed.

Earlier this year, the city’s diversity and equity office announced it would work on a plan to build better workforce pipelines and partnerships between communities of color and city jobs. 

Barnes has said these efforts will be beginning in earnest in 2021. 

“When you think about the role of government and the addressing of institutional racism, and all of these factors that we’re just really beginning to understand and have conversations about, I think this effort is going to be ongoing,” Barnes said. 

Still, incoming City Councilmember Katie Valenzuela said the results of the survey and audit show issues are about more than hiring. 

“If the culture of a workplace isn’t promoting diversity and inclusion, isn’t making people feel included and safe and supported in their work environment, that is a bigger issue and separate from who is in those positions,” Valenzuela said.

Women Of Color Have The Biggest Salary Gap

The demographic audit also shows that salary disparities across city employees persist. Overall, white men were the highest-paid group of employees, making an average salary of $96,370. By contrast, the lowest-paid employee group was Hawaiian or Pacific Islander women, who made nearly half of their white male counterparts — an average salary of $50,524. 

Additionally, for every dollar white men made, white women made 76 cents, Black men made 63 cents, and Black women employees made 55 cents. 

The African American Employee Leadership Council, a group representing Black employees at the city, said the report reflects the city’s failure to “retain people of color.”

“Despite the City's stated goals of diversity and inclusion, disparate treatment of employees has also made it difficult to retain people of color,” the organization wrote in a statement. “Lower compensation for these employees disincentivizes those employees to remain with the City to promote into higher positions and achieve the City's goals. While outreach and hiring are very important, we won't see long-term progress if employees aren't fairly compensated and valued within their departments.” 

Councilmember Eric Guerra said he hoped council might be able to suggest ways to close this disparity in salary ranges. 

“Not only women, but women of color, specifically, are furthest behind their male counterparts when it comes to the wage gap,” Guerra said. “I think we need to start immediately in addressing the salary gap issue. I think it’s going to be critical for us to draft the right plan, it has to come from what the staff is looking for in their future careers with the city.” 

City Council will review both reports next month. 

Correction: An earlier version of this story stated City Council would be reviewing these reports at their Dec. 8 council meeting. They will be discussing plans for a Racial Equity Initiative on Dec. 8, but will not be reviewing the auditor’s reports until January.