Overview
- The EEOC, which voted 2-1 on Tuesday, published a proposed rule that would rescind the annual EEO-1 reports and opened a 30-day public comment period before any final decision.
- EEO-1 reports have required private employers with 100 or more workers and certain federal contractors to submit counts of employees by sex and by race and ethnicity across 10 job categories since 1966.
- Chair Andrea Lucas said collecting that data can promote stereotyping and imposes large costs on employers, while Commissioner Kalpana Kotagal said ending the reports would cripple the agency’s ability to spot and pursue patterns of discrimination.
- The EEOC estimates the change would save employers about $275 million a year and cut the agency’s costs by about $4 million, but recordkeeping duties under federal law and the EEOC’s power to demand data during investigations would remain in place.
- Conservative policy plans including Project 2025 influenced the move and some large firms have already reduced public disclosure of their demographic data, which critics say could make it harder to track long-term trends in pay and promotions for women and racial minorities.