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Definitions of EEO-1 Race and Ethnicity
Definitions of Job Categories

Please find below information and definitions of the racial/ethnic categories collected annually by the Diversity Action Alliance. These are based on the within the Employer Information Report EEO-1 survey from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Definitions of the EEO-1 race and ethnicity categories are as follows:

Hispanic or Latino – A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race.

White (Not Hispanic or Latino) – A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.

Black or African American (Not Hispanic or Latino) – A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander (Not Hispanic or Latino) – A person having origins in any of the peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.

Asian (Not Hispanic or Latino) – A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian Subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Native American or Alaska Native (Not Hispanic or Latino) – A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America), and who maintain tribal affiliation or community attachment.

Two or More Races (Not Hispanic or Latino) – All persons who identify with more than one of the above five races.

DAA Job Categories:

Please note that title isn’t as much of a determination as is the levels within the organization. For example, some agencies may have SVPs who are at the managerial level, rather than the executive/senior level. Please note these are hierarchical and each individual should only be counted once.

Top Communicator/Leader in communication. This is the most senior person in the communication function, department, agency or company, depending on the context. Most likely, this is the chief communications officer, an executive vice president, president/CEO of an agency,  executive director of a nonprofit, etc. For some, this designation depends on the lens from which you are reporting. For example, if you are a department chair at a university and you are reporting on your specific academic department, then you would be considered the top communicator. In corporations, these individuals typically have frequent interactions with the CEO. Only one person should be the top leader in the function.

Executive/Senior Level Officials and Managers. This number should not include the top communicator in the communication function, department, agency, or company. These are the individuals who plan, direct and formulate policies, set strategy and provide the overall direction of enterprises/organizations or communication function. Residing in the highest levels of the department, function, or agency, these executives plan, direct or coordinate activities with the support of subordinate executives and staff managers. They include, in larger organizations, those individuals within two reporting levels of the CEO, whose responsibilities may require interaction with the CEO. Examples of these include executive-level managers, senior vice presidents of functional areas, management directors, partners, etc. These individuals typically report to the chief communications officer, executive director, or agency CEO/president.

First/Mid-Level Officials and Managers. These individuals serve as managers. They manage employees and receive directions from executive/senior Level management. They typically have some management responsibility. They implement policies, programs and directives of executive/senior management through subordinate managers and within the parameters set by executive/senior Level management. These individuals typically report directly to senior level managers or other middle managers. These may include managers, specialists, and some have senior in the title (depending on the organization). 

Entry-level. These individuals are in the beginning stages of their career with typically five years or fewer of experience. They may not have any employees report to them or they may have other entry-level employees report to them. These may include account executives, public relations coordinators, and public relations assistants (but not administrative support).

Admin support: These jobs involve non-managerial tasks providing administrative and support assistance, primarily in office settings. Examples of these types of positions include: office and administrative support workers; bookkeeping; accounting and auditing clerks; cargo and freight agents; dispatchers; couriers; data entry keyers; computer operators; shipping, receiving and traffic clerks; word processors and typists; proofreaders; desktop publishers; and general office clerks.