WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is considering major changes to how it enforces federal workplace discrimination laws, including ending a decades-old requirement that large employers submit workforce demographic data to the federal government.
The proposed changes, advanced under EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas, would eliminate the agency’s annual EEO-1 data collection and rescind a 1979 regulation that allows employers to voluntarily address documented racial and gender imbalances within their workforce. Supporters of the move argue that employment decisions should be entirely race- and gender-neutral, while critics warn the changes could weaken efforts to identify and combat discrimination.
Since the 1960s, employers with 100 or more workers have been required to report workforce demographics, including race, ethnicity, sex, and job categories. The data has played a significant role in EEOC investigations and enforcement actions, helping identify patterns that may indicate discriminatory hiring or promotion practices.
Former EEOC officials told NPR that the data has been instrumental in recovering billions of dollars for workers through settlements and legal actions. One frequently cited example involved Bass Pro Shops, which agreed to a $10.5 million settlement in 2017 after the EEOC alleged widespread hiring discrimination against Black and Hispanic applicants.
Lucas has argued that demographic data has sometimes been misused to justify race-based employment decisions that could violate federal law. She maintains that equal treatment under the law requires employers to avoid considering race or sex when making hiring and promotion decisions.
The proposals are currently under White House review, and no final decision has been announced.
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