What is Affirmative Action?
Affirmative action in government contracting means taking a second look to be fair to everyone who applies for these contracts. It means managers can't just hire their buddies – they have to give every candidate a fair chance to compete. It does not mean quotas, or that the government forces employers to hire unqualified people. When affirmative action works the way it should, qualified people – no matter what their race or sex – have a fair shot at a job, an education or a contract.
