Minorities 31% of work force at county level

Morris County’s government agencies are six times more likely to hire minority workers than local municipalities. They also have a higher percentage of minorities than the county population as a whole.

Those are among the findings of a Daily Record survey looking at minority representation in government. Minorities comprise 31 percent of the county work force compared to 5.4 percent in local towns. Morris County has a 23.5 percent minority population, according to the latest 2008 U.S. Census estimates.

John Bonanni, the county administrator, said county agencies have a broader range of jobs than municipalities. And while those agencies require employees to live in the county, they draw from a broader pool of applicants than towns.

“Other than that, I have no explanation,” Bonanni said. “We strive to hire the most appropriate candidates.”

An analysis of county documents reveals African-Americans have by far the largest representation among minorities in county agencies:

• African-Americans make up 3 percent of the county’s population but hold 19 percent of the county government jobs. They hold just 2 percent of municipal jobs. They make up 10.5 percent of the county’s protective services, a category that includes law enforcement officials such as Sheriff’s officers. In Morris County towns, they comprise just 1.7 percent of protective services jobs.

• Latinos, who comprise 10.6 percent of the county’s population, hold 8.6 percent of county jobs and 2.9 percent of municipal jobs.

Source:
Minorities 31% of work force at county level
dailyrecord.com