Roughly 800,000 federal employees are furloughedand government contractors hired by the shuttered agencies have been scrambling to figure out what to do with their employees--and their dwindling cash reserves. (Inc.)

A study by the Alliance for Board Diversity has found that the percentage of women and minorities on the boards of some of the largest public companies in the U.S. has slightly increased, but the majority of corporate directors remain white men. (The New York Times)

Many organizations are searching for ways to attract more workers of colors. In 15 years of research studying black workers, Adia Harvey Wingfield has collected research that shows companies are failing black workers in three key ways, especially those in professional occupations. (HBR)

So you've finally started to recover from the holidays, and you're feeling extremely optimistic about making changes in 2019 - including your career. But before you begin that job search, make sure you know exactly what searching for a job in January entails. (The Muse)

Casual dress codes are used to help attract and retain employees, but without the having a suit to rely on, workers have to decide for themselves what's appropriate. And that can be difficult. (CNN Business)

Forbes partnered with market research company Statista to create our second annual ranking of America’s best employers for diversity. The list was compiled by surveying 50,000 Americans working for businesses with at least 1,000 employees. (Forbes)

Executives from Ikea, P&G, Bonobos, Rebecca Minkoff and other brands share their thoughts on what needs to be done to reach equality in the workplace. (RETAILDIVE)

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has said a no-deal Brexit looks "less and less unlikely" and has launched a contingency plan to prepare for it. (BBC)

Britain's down-to-the-wire effort to shape its exit from the EU failed on Thursday as Prime Minister Theresa May and opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn refused to budge from competing points of view. (Reuters)

Researchers say there’s still a long way to go before MBA programs have caught up to what women want and need. (VICE)

Nearly 40 years after it began publishing its comprehenvie lists of which franchises will make the best investment, Entrepreneur has released its 2019 list of best franchised companies. (Entrepreneur)

In the past when America has been involved in a government shutdown, none lasted long enough to cause real damage to the economy. Purchases were delayed until the government opened back up. But this one is different. (CNN)

According to the Center for Financial Planning Board  (CFP), less than 3.5% of all the 80,000 certified financial planners in the United States are black or Latino. Financial executive Justin McCurdy talks to Black Enterprise about what got him involved in wealth management and the importance of African American wealth management advisers as a career option for people of color. (Black Enterprise)