And the difference between the wealth of the median white household in the United States in 2022 and the median Black household was $240,000. [...] According to the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, which analyzed the demographics of top House staffers in 2022 and top Senate staffers in 2023, just 18% of all top House staffers were people of color in 2022 and only 16% of all top staffers in senators’ offices in 2023 were people of color. [...] The salaries of the lowest-paid Meanwhile, the Joint Center for Political and Economic staffers on Capitol Studies found that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Hill have generally accounted for about 4% of top House staffers in 2022 and 5% of top Senate staffers in 2023, slightly below the roughly 6% been improving in of the U. [...] recent years, but more of this wage As of June 2023, at least half of senior congressional staffers growth has been were people of color in less than 20% of House member’s felt in the House of offices and in just 12 senators’ offices, according to the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. [...] Reestablishing the House Office of Diversity and Inclusion — and creating a counterpart in the Senate — would help develop and support a congressional workforce that reflects the makeup of the nation.
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Table of Contents
- Introduction 2
- In 2020 roughly 13 of congressional staffers made less than a living wage. In 2023 just 4.6 did. 3
- In 2023 7.6 of Senate staffers still made below a living wage but that was true for just 2.8 of House staffers. 3
- How a Pay Floor Is Helping the House Outperform the Senate When It Comes to Staff Compensation 3
- For our democracy to succeed diverse perspectives and backgrounds must be reflected in the institutions that shape the nations laws. 3
- Median Staff Assistant Pay vs. The Living Wage 4
- More of this wage growth has been felt in the House of Representatives than in the Senate which does not have a pay floor like the House does. 5
- D.C. Living Wage and Portion of Congressional Staffers Earning Less Than a Living Wage 5
- Who Doesnt Earn a Living Wage 6
- Congressional Staffers Earning Less Than a Living Wage by Chamber 6
- Fair Pay Can Help Congress Better Represent the Country 7
- Portion of Staff Assistants in Each Chamber of Congress Who Made Less Than a Living Wage 7
- Key Demographic Groups are Underrepresented in Top Congressional Staff Positions 8
- The salaries of the lowest-paid staffers on Capitol Hill have generally been improving in recent years but more of this wage growth has been felt in the House of Representatives than in the Senate. 9
- How Congress Should Build on This Progress 10
- Institute a Livable Pay Floor for Full-Time Workers in the Senate 10
- Index Congressional Pay Floors to Inflation 10
- Issue Paychecks More Frequently 10
- Pay All Congressional Interns 10
- Fair salaries are a critical step in ensuring that the federal legislature can be a place where congressional staffers are as diverse as the country itself. 10
- Support Professional Development Initiatives 11
- Members of Congress Should Make Full Use of the MRA and SOPOEA 11
- Continued Institutional Investments 11
- Methodology How We Did This Analysis 12
- Acknowledgments 12
- About Issue One 12
- Media Contact 12
