EEOC Proposes Ending Workforce Diversity Data Collection
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), currently under Republican leadership, has proposed a rule to end the collection of workforce demographic data, including race and gender, which has been a requirement since 1966. This proposal, submitted on May 14, 2026, is now under review by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
The proposal seeks to rescind the EEO-1 Component 1 report, which mandates private employers with 100 or more employees and certain federal contractors with at least 50 employees to annually report demographic data. The EEOC's plan has drawn criticism from civil rights groups and former commissioners who argue that it could impair the agency's ability to detect discrimination and track progress since the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Following the OMB review, the proposal will be published in the Federal Register, initiating a 30-day public comment period. Legal challenges are anticipated, potentially delaying the rule's implementation.
While the federal requirement may cease, some states, including California, Illinois, and Massachusetts, maintain their own demographic reporting mandates, which would remain unaffected.