Border Patrol’s work force near 60,000 in 2011

Wed, 2011-12-21 02:21 PM
By: Mark Rockwell

Customs and Border Protection employed 59,820 people in fiscal 2011 and hired more than 20,000 Border Patrol agents.

The agency outlined its hiring totals in a statement issued on Dec. 19, saying it grew its work force during the year, including hiring 21,370 border agents before the end of fiscal 2011, on September 30.

The increase in Border Patrol agents prompted the Obama administration to formally announce on Dec. 20 that it would reduce the number of National Guard troops stationed along the southwestern U.S. border. About 1,200 guardsmen have been stationed in the region since the summer of 2010 to bolster Border Patrol efforts there.

In its Dec. 19 statement, CBP provided more details about its burgeoning workforce. It said military veterans accounted for almost 20 percent of newly-hired agents and more than one in three of its employees is Hispanic. The agency said its 35 percent Hispanic labor force outpaced the relevant private sector labor force, at nine percent. The agency said it has targeted employment outreach to underrepresented groups and focused recruitment activities and has reached a total minority workforce population of 29,013.

In FY 2011, the agency said it continued to implement its diversity-driven National Recruitment Strategy that includes sponsoring more than 340 U.S. military veteran hiring events, 124 events at minority serving institutions, 90 disability and special emphasis events, and more than 650 other events to increase workplace diversity for underrepresented groups.

Furthering this commitment, the agency said it created a gateway for veterans who have been wounded while while serving in the military to connect with hiring officials for fast-track placement within CBP. As a result of the program, the agency said five individuals were placed into permanent positions.
http://www.gsnmagazine.com/node/25295?c=border_security