We mourn the loss of President Jimmy Carter, a champion of human and civil rights.

The members of the 119th Congress will achieve historic milestones, but so far, they have fallen short in hiring top staffers who represent America’s diverse racial makeup. As of Dec. 6, people of color make up 19.7 percent of top staff, and 5.4 percent are African Americans. With people of color accounting for 41.1 percent of the U.S. population (African Americans are 13.6 percent), the low percentages are concerning.

This brief explains how improving data collection on Career and Technical Education pathways can help standardize goals and metrics, maximize employment, and minimize inequities for learners and workers who too often get left behind.

A new brief from the Joint Center and the Center for Economic and Policy Research documents that as Black Americans experience record-breaking economic gains, a closer examination reveals persistent economic insecurity and enduring inequalities, underscoring the critical importance of economic issues for African Americans.

Each month, the Joint Center analyzes the employment numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and showcases what the numbers mean for Black workers.