EEOC Votes to End 60-Year Employer Demographic Reporting

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission voted 2-1 on Tuesday to propose a rule rescinding a 60-year-old requirement for private sector employers, unions, and public schools to submit annual workforce demographic reports, known as EEO-1 forms. This reporting practice has served as a cornerstone of civil rights enforcement since 1966. The proposal, backed by the Trump administration and recommended by the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025 blueprint, now enters a 30-day public commentary period before final approval.

EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas argued that the reporting mandates impose hundreds of millions of dollars in costs and may encourage racial stereotyping. The agency estimates that ending the requirements would save U.S. employers nearly $275 million annually and reduce agency costs by $4 million. Lucas stated that sorting workers by race and sex contradicts the legal requirement for colorblind employment practices.

Commissioner Kalpana Kotagal and civil rights organizations, including the National Partnership for Women & Families and the National Women's Law Center, condemned the move. They contend that the data is a critical tool for uncovering systemic discrimination patterns and that eliminating it will undermine workplace protections. Despite the proposed change, the EEOC will maintain its authority to demand demographic data during specific investigations, and employers remain required under Title VII to maintain records pertinent to discrimination cases.