The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has released its 2009 statistics. The 2009 fiscal year saw a total of 93,277 charges filed with the EEOC, the second-highest total ever. (The 2008 fiscal year saw the highest total of charges ever filed at 95,402.) The high number of discrimination allegations is often attributed to the continuing depressed economy and the rise in unemployment.
Noting that many individuals who file charges allege multiple types of discrimination, the charges filed in 2009 most frequently alleged retaliation (36%), race discrimination (36%) and sex discrimination (30%). Charges alleging age discrimination comprised 24.4% of the total charges filed, while disability discrimination charges reached 23%.
These statistics can be found in greater detail on the EEOC’s website under “Enforcement and Litigation Statistics.” Another pertinent statistic for employers — the EEOC obtained a total of $294.2 million dollars in monetary relief during the 2009 fiscal year. This number does not include monetary benefits obtained through litigation.