US civil rights agency moves to end demographic data collection after 60 years
3 hours ago
- The EEOC's Republican majority voted 2-1 to rescind a 60-year-old requirement for private sector employers to submit annual workforce demographic reports (EEO-1), ending a practice that has existed through ten administrations.
- EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas argues the reporting requirement encourages racial stereotyping and discrimination, and imposes high costs on employers without evidence of discrimination.
- Former Democratic commissioners and civil rights groups oppose the move, saying it deprives the agency of a key tool to uncover discrimination patterns and track progress for women and minorities since the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
- The EEO-1 data has historically covered over 50 million employees and 73,000 employers, revealing persistent underrepresentation of women and minorities in executive roles, though some groups have made gains.
- The proposal is linked to Project 2025, a conservative blueprint, and has led to a corporate retreat from disclosing demographic data, with fewer S&P 100 and Russell 3000 companies publicizing metrics in 2025.
- Companies may still keep demographic data for legal defense against discrimination lawsuits, and the EEOC can demand such data during investigations, as seen in cases against Nike and the New York Times.
- Advocates warn the change obscures discrimination against racial minorities and women, and that future leadership could reinstitute the EEO-1 requirement.