Last week, I provided data about homeownership in the D.C. Maryland-Virginia (DMV) metro area. Since then, I have had conversations about the effects of the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) dismantling and the gutting of the federal government on employees.
According to the data, 44% of federal employees identify as women (see Table 1). Women are predominantly employed as healthcare practitioners and technical professionals, making up 67% of that sector. In contrast, men represent 96% of the workforce in construction and extraction occupations.
Table 1. D.C-Maryland-Virginia Federal Employees by Broad Occupations, Ethnicity, Race and Gender: 2023
Source: 2023 American Community Survey, U.S. Census Bureau.
State of Occupation
The D.C-Maryland-Virginia (DMV) metro area is diverse. Examining the distribution of federal employees by location provides insight into the consequences of the DOGE for the region. For example, federal employees were 12 percent of all workers who reside in the District of Columbia (see Table 2). Black women were 35 percent of those employed in serviced occupations but were only 12 percent of those in healthcare practitioner and technical occupations.
Table 2. District of Columbia Federal Employees by Broad Occupations, Ethnicity, Race, and Gender: 2023
Source: 2023 American Community Survey, U.S. Census Bureau.
In Maryland and Virginia, federal employees comprised 9 percent of the total workforce. Among those in sales and related occupations, Asian women represented 16 percent, while Black women accounted for 42 percent of those in office and administrative support roles. Women comprised 64 percent of the workforce in office and administrative support occupations and 66 percent in healthcare practitioner and technical occupations. Additionally, half of the federal employees residing in Maryland identified as female.
Table 3. Maryland Federal Employees by Broad Occupations, Ethnicity, Race, and Gender: 2023
Source: 2023 American Community Survey, U.S. Census Bureau.
Although women made up a smaller percentage of federal employees in Virginia (39%), they represented a larger proportion of those working in healthcare practitioner and technical occupations, with 72% compared to 66% in the DMV. Additionally, Hispanic women accounted for 7% of those in office and administrative support occupations (see Table 4).
Table 4. Virginia Federal Employees by Broad Occupations, Ethnicity, Race, and Gender: 2023
Source: 2023 American Community Survey, U.S. Census Bureau.
It will be months before we know the consequences of DOGE’s federal workforce reduction. However, the data suggests that women may not bear the brunt of the job cuts or early retirement decisions.
