If your state or local government employs 100 or more people, the EEO-4 reporting requirements obligate you to file the State and Local Government Information Report with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission every two years, breaking your workforce down by job category, salary range, race, and sex. The filing is authorized under Section 709(c) of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and implemented through 29 CFR Part 1602.1U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. EEO-4 State and Local Government Information Report Statistics
Which Jurisdictions Must File
Under 29 CFR § 1602.32, any political jurisdiction with 100 or more employees files on the biennial schedule. That covers state agencies, counties, cities, townships, special districts, and independent authorities. Smaller jurisdictions with 15 or more employees can also be required to file when the EEOC specifically requests it.2eCFR. 29 CFR 1602.32
When you count to 100, include part-time, seasonal, and temporary workers. Independent contractors and non-employees such as elected officials who are not on the payroll do not count.3U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. How Do You Count the Number of Employees an Employer Has?
One boundary worth noting: falling below the 100-employee filing threshold does not free you from all EEO-4 obligations. Under 29 CFR § 1602.30, every political jurisdiction with 15 or more employees must create and maintain the records needed to complete the EEO-4, whether or not it actually files.4eCFR. 29 CFR 1602.30 – Records To Be Made or Kept
What Data the Report Collects
The EEO-4 captures three data points for every full-time employee: job function, salary range, and demographics. The totals must reconcile to your jurisdiction’s overall workforce count.
Job Categories
Each employee is assigned to one of eight functional groups based on actual duties:
- Officials and Administrators, who set broad policy or direct agency operations
- Professionals, in roles requiring specialized theoretical knowledge, typically gained through college education or equivalent experience
- Technicians, combining scientific or technical knowledge with hands-on skills
- Protective Service Workers, including law enforcement, firefighters, and others responsible for public safety
- Paraprofessionals, in support roles that perform some professional or technical duties but require less formal training
- Office and Clerical, handling communication, data recording, and administrative paperwork
- Skilled Craft Workers, in trades requiring specialized manual skills acquired through apprenticeship or formal training
- Service-Maintenance, involving upkeep of public buildings, grounds, and facilities
Federal reviewers look at how demographic groups are distributed across these categories, so misclassifying employees can distort the patterns and trigger follow-up inquiries.1U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. EEO-4 State and Local Government Information Report Statistics
Salary Bands
Compensation is sorted into twelve tiers based on gross annual earnings. For the upcoming collection cycle, the EEOC has proposed updated bands:
- Range A: under $19,240
- Range B: $19,240–$24,959
- Range C: $24,960–$32,239
- Range D: $32,240–$41,079
- Range E: $41,080–$53,039
- Range F: $53,040–$68,119
- Range G: $68,120–$87,359
- Range H: $87,360–$112,319
- Range I: $112,320–$144,559
- Range J: $144,560–$186,159
- Range K: $186,160–$239,199
- Range L: $239,200 and above
These replace the previous bands, which topped out at $125,000 and above.5Federal Register. Agency Information Collection Activities – Existing Collection
Demographics
Every employee counted is cross-referenced by sex and one of seven race or ethnicity categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Two or More Races.1U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. EEO-4 State and Local Government Information Report Statistics
Snapshot Period and Filing Cycle
Reports are due every odd-numbered year. Each report captures a snapshot of the workforce from a single pay period during the summer, typically June through August, so the data reflects normal staffing rather than seasonal peaks or troughs. The standard filing deadline historically falls in late autumn of the reporting year. For the 2025 cycle, the EEOC has said updates will be posted to its data collections page as they become available.6U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. EEO Data Collections
How To Submit
Jurisdictions complete Form 164, which organizes the employee data into the categories above, and file through the EEO-4 Online Filing System. Each jurisdiction receives unique identification codes to access the portal.
A senior official must certify the submission, formally attesting that the data is accurate and reflects the designated snapshot period. After certification, the system issues a confirmation receipt and an electronic copy of the filed report. Keep that copy; it becomes part of your recordkeeping obligation.
Records You Have To Keep
Under 29 CFR § 1602.31, any personnel or employment record covering hiring, promotion, demotion, transfer, layoff, termination, and pay must be preserved for two years from the date of the record or the personnel action, whichever is later.7eCFR. 29 CFR 1602.31 – Preservation of Records Made or Kept
For involuntary terminations, the clock starts from the date of termination rather than the date the record was created. If a discrimination charge has been filed, or the Attorney General has brought an action, the retention period extends until the matter reaches final disposition. Relevant records include those for the person who filed the complaint and all employees in similar positions.8eCFR. 29 CFR Part 1602 – Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements Under Title VII, the ADA, GINA, and the PWFA
Consequences of Not Filing
Section 709(c) gives federal authorities direct enforcement power. If a government entity refuses to submit required reports, the Attorney General can go to a U.S. district court and obtain an order compelling compliance.9GovInfo. 42 USC 2000e-8 A court order is a legal command, not a fine, and violating it exposes the jurisdiction to contempt proceedings.
Confidentiality of Your Submission
Individual EEO-4 reports are confidential under Section 709(e) of Title VII. The EEOC cannot make a jurisdiction’s specific data public before initiating a proceeding that involves that data, and any EEOC employee who violates this restriction faces criminal misdemeanor charges, including potential fines or imprisonment.5Federal Register. Agency Information Collection Activities – Existing Collection State and local civil rights agencies may receive data about employers in their jurisdiction under Section 709(d), provided they agree not to make it public before starting their own proceedings.