EEOC Releases 2018 Data

The EEOC recently released its 2018 Enforcement and Litigation Data that can be helpful to employers looking for the bigger picture.

The EEOC’s data show that 76,418 workplace discrimination charges were filed with the EEOC during fiscal year 2018. This is a decrease in charges from fiscal year 2017, during which 84,254 charges were filed.

The 2018 data also show that 51.6 percent of all charges filed involved some type of retaliation allegation, and that sex (32.3 percent), disability (32.2 percent) and race discrimination (32.2 percent) were the next most frequent charge allegations. A comparison of this data over the years of 1997 through 2018 shows that disability and retaliation charges continue to increase each year, with 2018 marking the highest percentage of retaliation and disability charges ever filed with the EEOC.

The EEOC also provides a breakdown of charges by state. Only 784 EEOC charges were filed against Nevada employers in 2018, a significant decrease from 2017’s 978 charges. Nevada charges represented only 1.0% of the total charges filed in the United States.

Finally, the EEOC’s legal staff filed 199 merits lawsuits alleging discrimination in fiscal year 2018. This number included 117 individual lawsuits, 45 lawsuits involving multiple victims or discriminatory policies, and 37 systemic discrimination cases.

KZA Employer Report articles are for general information only; they are not intended and should not be construed to be legal advice. Reading or replying to such articles does not establish an attorney-client relationship. In addition, because the subject matters and applicable laws discussed in Employer Report articles are often in a state of change and not always applicable to every type of business entity or organization, readers should consult with counsel before making decisions based on the same.