WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Diversity and inclusiveness are crucial for the United States’ national-security workforce, President Barack Obama said in a memo on Wednesday that urges intelligence agencies to increase opportunities for minorities.
“Promoting diversity and inclusion ensures that national security departments and agencies can recruit their employees from the broadest possible pool of talent and bring a wide range of perspectives, skills, and backgrounds to bear to tackle our toughest problems,” the memo stated.
Women and minorities make up 25 percent of the workforce in the US intelligence community, compared with 35 percent across the entire federal government, according to a June report by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.