In a 2-1 vote, the Republican majority on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) voted to roll back a six-decade-old requirement under an anti-discrimination law that mandates employers to submit annual data on the racial and gender composition of their workforces.
Established in 1965, the EEOC is the US federal agency responsible for enforcing workplace anti-discrimination laws, investigating roughly 88,000 complaints each year. The now-targeted requirement, known as the EEO-1 report, collects aggregate demographic data from employers representing about 50 million workers.
The agency is currently led by Andrea Lucas, who has been a vocal critic of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Lucas argued that the reporting requirement is “in direct tension with Title VII’s requirement that employment practices be colourblind” and raises constitutional concerns.
Sharon Block, executive director at the Centre for Labour and a Just Economy at Harvard Law School, pushed back, stating: “EEO reports just provide the government with a snapshot of the makeup of the workforce. These reports don’t compel employers to hire or not hire anyone. It is data — no employer or federal government should be afraid of sharing data.”
The data has been crucial for researchers and policymakers to understand workforce demographics, measure progress, and identify disparities. For instance, EEOC data showed women held 29.2% of executive-level roles in 2013, increasing to 34.5% by 2023, while Black and Hispanic men remain underrepresented.
Lucas said the agency would still require demographic data when investigating companies accused of discriminatory practices, but critics warn that without ongoing collection, employers may not have the data readily available. “If the employer hasn’t been keeping the data, it may be difficult for them to provide that data,” said Chai Feldblum, a former EEOC commissioner.
The proposed rollback is part of a broader pattern under the Trump administration, which has also rescinded affirmative action requirements for federal contractors, dismantled DEI programs across the federal government, and pressured private-sector employers. The administration has also rolled back Biden-era wage protections and limited collective bargaining rights for federal employees.
Source: www.aljazeera.com