For the purposes of this subpart:

Underrepresentation means a situation in which the number of women or members of a minority group within a category of civil service employment constitutes a lower percentage of the total number of employees within the employment category than the percentage women or the minority constitutes within the civilian labor force of the United States, in accordance with § 720.205 (c) and (d).

Category of civil service employment means such groupings of Federal jobs by grades and/or occupations as the Office of Personnel Management deems appropriate within the General Schedule and the prevailing wage systems.

Minority refers only to those groups classified as “minority” for the purpose of data collection by the Office of Personnel Management and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in furtherance of Federal equal employment opportunity policies. The term, “women,” includes nonminority as well as minority women.

Civilian labor force (CLF) includes all persons 16 years of age and over, except those in the armed forces, who are employed or who are unemployed and seeking work. CLF data are defined by the Bureau of the Census and the Bureau of Labor Statistics and are reported in the most recent decennial or mid-decade census, or current population survey, under title 13 of the United States Code or any other reliable statistical study.

Recruitment means the total process by which the Federal Government and the Federal agencies locate, identify and assist in the employment of qualified applicants from underrepresented groups for job openings in categories of employment where underrepresentation has been determined. It includes both innovative internal and external recruitment actions. It is also intended to cover processes designed to prepare qualifiable applicants (those who have the potential but do not presently meet valid qualification requirements) for such job openings through programs of training, work experience or both.

Applicant pool means all types of listings from which selections may be made, including (but not limited to) promotion lists, competitive certificates and inventories of eligibles, applicant supply files, and lists of eligibles for certain noncompetitive appointments.