EEO-1 reporting could end, but not yet.
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The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has proposed rescinding the requirement for covered employers to file an annual report with the EEOC that summarizes workforce demographics related to race and sex, known as EEO-1 reports. Organizations have been required to file these reports for nearly 60 years. Here’s what could be changing and what to know.
Who Is Impacted
The proposed rule would rescind the reporting requirement for multiple entities that are covered under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. This includes private employers with 100 or more employees, unions, state and local governments, public schools and institutions of higher education. It also covers certain federal contractors with 50 or more employees. This means that, if finalized, any organization that falls under these criteria would no longer be required to report workforce demographic information related to race and sex. Federal contractors, while potentially exempt from submitting an EEO-1 report, are still obligated to maintain a written affirmative action plan that currently includes data related to veterans (VEVRAA) and people with disabilities (the Rehabilitation Act). While gender and ethnicity tracking has been suspended, these two tracking requirements have not changed.
What’s Changing
This is a proposal that does not immediately eliminate the EEO reports. The EEOC has not yet opened the 2025 EEO-1 data collection or announced whether covered employers will be required to submit reports based on 2025 workforce data. That question may depend on the outcome and timing of the proposed rule. If finalized, organizations will no longer be required by federal law to report demographic information on the workforce.
Timeline
The proposed rule was published July 23, 2026, in the Federal Register, beginning a 30-day public comment period. After reviewing feedback, the EEOC will determine whether to move forward with a final rule.
What Should Employers Do Now?
While the rule goes through the comment period, employers should continue maintaining the information needed to prepare a 2025 EEO-1 report but should monitor the EEOC for instructions on whether and when that report must be submitted. This will ensure that everything is up to date and readily available if the proposal does not move forward or the EEOC requires the 2025 report to be filed.
What Does This Mean for Employers?
If the rule ultimately becomes final as written, many employers could see a reduction in annual federal workforce demographic reporting requirements. However, nothing has changed yet, and employers should avoid assuming that EEO-1 reporting has ended or that a 2025 report will not be required.
Moving Forward
For now, the best approach is simple: continue collecting and maintaining the information needed for a potential 2025 EEO-1 submission while monitoring future developments. HR One will continue tracking this proposal and the status of the 2025 EEO-1 reporting cycle and provide updates as additional guidance becomes available.