The Metropolitan King County Council has unanimously adopted a five-year Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Plan that council members say demonstrates the county's continued high performance and commitment to equal employment opportunity, and adds new tools to measure diversity in the county workforce.

"In the past two decades, King County government has made significant strides in providing equal employment opportunities for historically disadvantaged populations," said King County Council member Larry Phillips, prime sponsor of the plan. "Our Affirmative Action Plan has been a major tool for improving workforce diversity and ensuring that women and minorities have access to promotions, high-wage jobs, and the full spectrum of employment paths. This update improves on the previous plan by requiring implementation plans and annual progress reports to ensure even greater accountability."

The council added requirements to the Affirmative Action Plan that enhance the county's ability to measure diversity in the county's executive departments. For the first time, the plan includes data on salary ranges by race and gender. When compared to data from the U.S. Census Bureau on income by race and gender, the plan shows that the county workforce is more diverse at the higher salary ranges.