Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month

During Hispanic Heritage Month, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs celebrates the rich cultures, history, and accomplishments of individuals of Hispanic ancestry. The OFCCP builds workplaces that ensure everyone has an equal opportunity to contribute to our economy at their fullest potential. 

In his Presidential Proclamation marking Hispanic Heritage Month, President Biden stated, “[W]e also recognize that America cannot succeed unless Hispanic families and communities succeed, sharing equally in the benefits of our recovery and our investments.”

COVID-19 amplified the preexisting economic barriers for many Hispanic communities. Hispanic workers participate in the labor force at a higher rate than any other demographic group, but median weekly earnings ($779) for Hispanic individuals working in full-time jobs have been lower than those of White workers ($1,012).The unemployment rate for Hispanic workers has slowly been improving, but remains higher than the national unemployment rate.  

As our nation begins to build consistent equal job opportunities, we have a critical opportunity to identify barriers and strengthen recruiting, hiring, pay setting and promotional practices to ensure all workers from every zip code in America can access good jobs with equitable pay.