Key facts
- The EEOC is proposing to end the annual collection of worker race and sex data from employers.
- The EEO-1 form, required since 1966, collects demographic data on employees by job category.
- EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas argued the reporting requirement imposes significant costs and risks promoting discrimination.
- The proposal was supported by the Republican majority on the EEOC and opposed by the sole Democrat commissioner.
- Critics argue ending data collection will hinder the agency's ability to identify and address discrimination patterns.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is proposing to end the decades-old requirement for tens of thousands of private sector employers to submit annual workforce demographic reports. The EEO-1 form, in place since 1966, collects data on employee race, sex, and job categories.
EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas, an appointee of President Donald Trump, argued that the reporting requirement imposes significant costs on employers and risks encouraging discrimination and racial stereotyping. She stated that companies should not be required to diversify their workforce absent evidence of discrimination.
Commissioner Kalpana Kotagal, the sole Democrat on the commission, voted against the proposal. She contended that ending the data collection would cripple the agency's ability to identify patterns of discrimination and track progress since the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Historically, the EEOC has used this data to guide enforcement priorities and investigations. The data has shown, for instance, that white men remain overrepresented in executive roles, while Black and Hispanic women are significantly underrepresented despite modest gains in recent years. The proposal is a part of broader shifts in civil rights enforcement under the Trump administration, influenced by recommendations from conservative groups like the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025.
The proposal will undergo a 30-day public comment period before a final decision is made.