So says a year-one status report, obtained by The Salt Lake Tribune, on Salt Lake County's three-year affirmative-action plan.

Conceived in late 2004, goals were set under former Mayor Nancy Workman to ensure that county hiring, "at a minimum," matches the target labor force for females and ethnic minorities in all employment categories.

With few exceptions, the government falls short.

"Whatever we're doing in terms of outreach, getting qualified minorities to apply for a job is clearly not working," laments County Councilman Joe Hatch, an attorney who practices labor law. "It was almost across-the-board failure."

Worse still, the percentages - based on the 2000 census - do not reflect the current minority population, notes Frank Cordova, executive director of La Raza.

"Just think if they were using up-to-date numbers how far behind they would be."

County Mayor Peter Corroon says progress has been made through the years, but concedes "we haven't made enough."

He points to the imminent hire of a new county personnel director as an opportunity to focus on diversity.

"The bottom line is we need to make sure we are treating everybody the same and not have disparities in who we are hiring or promoting," the mayor says.

Right now, three of four ethnic minority groups remain under-represented based on the county's own hiring goals. In some cases, overall numbers actually have decreased.

According to the report, the county does not employ enough blacks, Asian/Pacific Islanders and American Indians in its service, technician and skilled-labor posts.

The only group meeting the mark is Latinos, who make up nearly 12 percent of the county's population.

More than 5 percent of county managers are Latinos, exceeding the goal of 4.6 percent. Latinos also account for 18.7 percent of the service and maintenance ranks, topping the target of 17.4 percent.

Minority hiring by the county rose by 79 percent between 1995 and 2005, but that figure fails to keep pace with Utah's minority boom. Latino growth alone shot up by 138 percent during the 1990s.

Women employees - who make up 48 percent of the county payroll - also are too sparse and, along with ethnic minorities, earn an average of $2 less per hour than their white male counterparts.

"None of it is a surprise," says Andrea Moore-Emmett, who recently stepped aside as president of the Utah chapter of the National Organization for Women. "That kind of bias and discrimination is entrenched in the culture here."

Another lopsided finding: Whites account for 88 percent of county promotions while ethnic minorities merit 12 percent.

"Almost every goal we have set as a county, we have failed to meet," Hatch says. "We're going to ask tough questions."

Councilwoman Jenny Wilson insisted the report receive a public airing this week after it was quietly distributed to county officials last month.

"We're not moving ahead dramatically enough," she says. "We never want to choose a woman over a man just because she's a woman. Same with a Hispanic over a white. But it's important to be proactive with each of those groups to make sure we're getting good, qualified applicants in the door."

Once minorities are on the county clock, Corroon wants to ensure barriers are removed and "then move them up the ladder."

But a promotion the first-term mayor made last week has some minority advocates scratching their heads. After the diversity-affairs director chair sat empty for months, Corroon named Ann Ober, a 28-year-old white woman, to the post.

"There was an opportunity they had to hire a minority and they didn't," Cordova complains.

Corroon counters that another employee, Rebecca Sanchez, will focus on diversity affairs while Ober will manage the office. Besides, he says, the county's Council on Diversity Affairs gave its nod to Ober before the hire was made.

"If the ethnic communities [on the diversity panel] are supporting this person and ranking her the highest, it's not sending the wrong message," Corroon says.

Problems in Salt Lake County's personnel division flared up last year after audits - and whistle-blowers - led to investigations of nepotism as well as employee abuse of overtime pay and tuition reimbursement. After multiple reprimands and a brief suspension, longtime Personnel Director Felix McGowan retired last month.

Wilson & Co. say they have "a lot" of questions for the new director about the county's hiring.

Meantime, the affirmative-action report calls on the county to aggressively pursue qualified women and ethnic minorities, offer internships and provide advancement training.

Moore-Emmett remains skeptical.

"Trying to get these white boys to crawl out of their caves is going to take some real doing."

djensen@sltrib.com