345,000 federal workers watching the calendar

The proportions are even higher in some categories.  To the surprise of those who believe African-Americans are not represented in technology, 24 percent of all federal technical workers are African-American -- 80,929 in 2011.

In clerical positions, African-Americans are 27.3 percent or 33.794 clerical workers.

Unless changed by Congress, civilian and military agencies are expected to carry out budget cuts mandated in 2010.  

Cutbacks at the state and local level have had a disparate effect over the past two years.  The AFL-CIO reported last December that "nearly two-thirds of city employees across the country facing layoffs are African American."

A review of local employment dynamics data in Job Creation & Innovation: State of Black Business, ninth edition, indicates that job separations exceeded new hires in many metropoitan areas across the nation for African-Americans.

UC-Berkeley economist Steven Pitts, a specialist on the black labor force, noted in April that 21.2 percent of all black workers were in public jobs between 2008 and 2010. They also tended to earn more in public employment.  He wrote:

""For both men and women, the median wage earned by Black employees is significantly

higher in the public sector than in other industries.

• Prior to the recession, the wage differential between Black and white workers was less

in the public sector than in the overall economy

• Examining the five primary industries employing Black workers, the public sector

employed the greatest proportion of Black men and Black women in the higher paying

occupations."