PeopleReturn reported that companies appear to be becoming more selective in their workforce-related disclosure. According to the analysis, disclosure of demographic workforce metrics—including gender, race, and ethnicity data—has declined across major market indices in 2026 sustainability reporting to date, while disclosure of more operationally oriented workforce metrics has remained comparatively stable. For example, among S&P 500 companies, leadership-level gender disclosure declined from 86.0% in 2024 to 62.2% in 2026, while leadership-level race/ethnicity disclosure declined from 72.5% to 47.6%.
The post suggests these trends may reflect efforts to reduce legal, political, or reputational risk exposure associated with certain disclosures rather than changes in workforce composition. The 2026 data reflects sustainability reports filed year-to-date, with approximately one-third of the reporting season completed.
This post first appeared in the weekly Society Alert!