IWPR Comments Opposing the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Proposed Elimination of the EEO-1 Data Demographic Report

Submitted August 24, 2026, via regulations.gov.

On behalf of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR), I am writing to provide comment opposing the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) proposed rule EEOC-2026-0034, rescinding and removing requirements for the filing of the EEO-1, EEO-2, EEO-3, EEO-4, EEO-5, and EEO-6 reports (EEO data reports).

IWPR is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that conducts and disseminates research to shape policies that close inequality gaps and improve the economic well-being of women and families from diverse backgrounds. As part of our efforts to support women’s economic security and well-being, we focus on understanding the prevalence of workplace discrimination and its economic impacts on women and others facing multiple forms of marginalization, as well as the health of the labor market. As a leading national think tank that routinely employs the highest standards of integrity and quality in our research, IWPR is uniquely positioned to comment on the harmful impacts that the proposed rule’s framework creates for preventing discrimination in hiring, pay outcomes, and promotion for groups who have historically faced structural barriers and disparities in outcomes in the labor market. The comments below are primarily concentrated on the proposed elimination of the EEO-1 data demographic report, which covers large private employers and federal contractors, though the elimination of all EEO data reports would be similarly concerning.

IWPR strongly opposes and urges the withdrawal of the EEOC proposed rule. It is critical that the EEOC continues demographic data collection, which will support its mandate to prevent the well-documented persistence of discrimination in the labor market based on gender, race, and ethnicity against women and minority groups.