Examining Recent HR Data for Gender Bias Among Federal Employees at NIST

Published

March 26, 2021

Author(s)

Jasmine Evans, Amanda Koepke, Steven Lund, Mary Frances Theofanos

Abstract

This report is part of a multi-phase mixed methods project that is designed to provide an in-depth look at the population of National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) federal employees to identify factors, attitudes, and processes that might result in gender-specific barriers at NIST. In the current project phase, human resources demographic data, compensation data, and performance data of NIST federal employees from 2011 to 2019 were analyzed to determine any relevant trends. This report details the methodology and results, including the steps of analysis, and summarizes where NIST currently stands regarding workplace gender differences. The results include trends of gender differences in the areas of hiring, pay band, annual salary, and supervisory level. Further analysis identified the highest degree earned as a factor toward gender-specific barriers. Finally, we identified the "broken rung" as a factor limiting advancement of women.

Citation

NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR) - 8363

Report Number

8363

NIST Pub Series

NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR)

Pub Type

NIST Pubs

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.IR.8363

Local Download

Keywords

Gender, Gender pay gap, Inequities

Citation

Evans, J. , Koepke, A. , Lund, S. and Theofanos, M. (2021), Examining Recent HR Data for Gender Bias Among Federal Employees at NIST, NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.IR.8363, https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=931989 (Accessed October 14, 2025)