Latinos hold only 5 percent of top positions in Gov. Cuomo’s administration and in the state government workforce as a whole, a new study claims.
“In terms of policy-making positions, of the 59 commissionerships and other titles we could identify, only three were held by Latinos,” the National Institute for Latino Policy said in its analysis. They are: Secretary of State Cesar Perales, Labor Commissioner Peter Rivera, and Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Commissioner Arlene González-Sánchez.
The underrepresentation occurs throughout the state government workforce, the study found.
While Hispanics account for 18.4 percent of the state’s population, they made up only 4.9 percent of state employees.
“The extreme underrepresentation of Latinos . . . is a long-term problem unaddressed in this year’s gubernatorial election,” said NILP executive Angelo Falcon.
A spokesman for the governor’s office said, “This is the most diverse administration in memory . . . and has fought to . . . remove barriers hindering minority participation in government.”