Workforce equity demands that Multnomah County identify and address structural and policy barriers to equal employment opportunity faced by our employees and communities because of their race, ethnicity, national origin, disability, gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, and other protected classes. Employees across the organization have stepped forward to develop a strategic plan and help create a workplace where everyone can reach their full potential.

The initial Workforce Equity Strategic Plan, also known as WESP, was officially adopted by the Board of County Commissioners in April 2018, then amended by the Board in January 2019. The initial four-year cycle of the original plan came to a close in 2022. You can read the final annual report here and a summary of the final briefings of the first cycle here.

The 2024-2028 Workforce Equity Strategic Plan was unanimously approved by the Board on March 14, 2024. This renewal of equity efforts builds on the infrastructure, practices and other improvements established in accordance with the first plan. It consists of 33 action benchmarks across eight categories to be implemented over the course of a four-year cycle.