The US agency that fights workplace discrimination just voted to stop measuring it | Jamil Smith
📰 source: theguardian_business · 📚 research
the equal employment opportunity commission's republican majority voted 2-1 to begin dismantling the system that collects demographic workforce data from employers. the proposal, published in the federal register, argues that requiring classification by race and sex may violate equal protection. comments are due 24 august, with a hearing on 11 august.
since 1966, private employers with 100+ workers and federal contractors with 50+ have reported race, ethnicity, sex, and job categories, covering over 50 million people at 73,000 employers. the eeoc estimates compliance costs at $273m a year. chair andrea lucas, who has focused on claims by white men, used this very data to investigate nike in may 2024. without routine reports, the agency's leaders gain control over when and where to look for discrimination. the 2023 data shows white men hold 52.7% of executive jobs despite being a third of the workforce.
why it matters: ending demographic reporting blinds the eeoc to systemic discrimination patterns, shifting enforcement to selective cases chosen by leadership.
source: theguardian_business
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