According to a consultant hired by plaintiffs in a sex discrimination lawsuit, in 2001, Wal-Mart's Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filings showed that female employees made up 65 percent of Wal-Mart's hourly paid workforce, but only 33 percent of its management.[155][156] Just 35 percent of its store managers were women, compared to 57 percent at similar retailers.[156] Wal-Mart says comparisons with other retailers are unfair, because it classifies employees differently; if department managers were included in the totals, women would make up 60 percent of the managerial ranks.[156] Others have criticized the lawsuit as without basis in the law and as an abuse of the class action mechanism.[157][158][159] In 2007, Wal-Mart was named by the National Association for Female Executives as one of the top 35 companies for executive women.[160]