Racial Diversity Among Top Senate Staff

Today, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies released Racial Diversity Among Top Senate Staff.

The report is critical to understanding diversity among top staff in the U.S. Senate, including chiefs of staff, legislative directors, and communications directors in Washington, DC personal offices of U.S. Senators, as well as staff directors assigned to committees. Data reflect Senate employment in April 2015.

• Click here for a 2-page summary of the report
• Click here for an infographic from the report
• Read the full 31-page report here

The report was written by James R. Jones.

Key findings:

•  People of color make up over 36 percent of the U.S. population, but only 7.1 percent of top Senate staffers.

•  Latinos make up over 16 percent of the U.S. population, but only 2.1 percent of top Senate staffers.

•  African-Americans make up 13 percent of the U.S. population, but only 0.9 percent of top Senate staffers.

•  Senate offices representing states with large Hispanic and African-American populations hire few senior staffers of color.

• While those who self-identified as Democrats nationwide were 22 percent African-American and 13 percent Latino, top Democratic U.S. Senate staff as a group is 0.7 percent African-American and 2.0 percent Latino.

•  Senators should take several steps to increase diversity.

For coverage of the report see The Washington Post, AL DÍA News (CHCI Int. CEO Cristina Antelo), The Associated Press, The Atlantic, The Daily Beast, The Hill (CBCF President Shuanise Washington), Huffington Post (CHCI Int. CEO Cristina Antelo), Los Angeles Sentinel, Afro News, CBC Chief of Staff Troy Clair, and The Network Journal.

Hashtag:  #SenateStaffDiversity

For all press inquiries, contact press@jointcenter.org.