OMB Announces New Standards for Maintaining, Collecting, and Presenting Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has revised Standards for Maintaining, Collecting, and Presenting Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity (SPD 15). The changes will impact how companies collect the race and ethnicity data for their federal reporting. The 2024 SPD 15 replaces and supersedes the 1997 SPD 15. OMB cited “large societal, political, economic shifts in the United States” during the past 25 years including “increasing racial and ethnic diversity; a growing number of people who identify as more than one race or ethnicity; and changing immigration and migration patterns.” Key revisions include a new race/ethnicity category and a one question format combining the race and ethnicity question into “What is your race and/or ethnicity? Select all that apply and enter additional details in the spaces below.” With the addition of the new Middle Eastern/North African category, there will be seven race and/or ethnicity categories: ...