For the third year in a row, there was a notable increase in the number of discrimination charges filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Allegations of unlawful retaliation again led the way. EEOC received 88,531 charges alleging employment discrimination, a 9% increase from the year before, according to fiscal year 2024 statistics posted on EEOC’s website.
Charges alleging retaliation, totaling 42,301, were the most prevalent filings for the seventeenth consecutive year. However, the overall percentage of charges alleging retaliation declined by 9%, from 56.8% in FY 2023 to 47.8% in FY 2024. The next four most prevalent charge allegations were harassment (40.4%); disability discrimination (38.0%); race discrimination (34.2%); and sex discrimination (30.4%).
In litigation activity, the EEOC filed 111 lawsuits on the merits in FY 2024, down from 143 during the prior year. Of these, 66 contained Title VII claims, and 48 included disability discrimination. Age discrimination, pregnancy discrimination, equal pay claims, and genetic discrimination made up the balance.