EEOC Reports Unprecedented Number of Charges of Workplace Discrimination Filed Last Year

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) reported a dramatic increase in charges of private sector workplace discrimination filed throughout all major categories – including race, age, disability, and religion – during the 2010 fiscal year.

Despite handling nearly 100,000 filings last year, the EEOC has managed to slow the growth of its case backlog. In fact, the EEOC obtained a staggering $404 million for victims, the highest amount of financial relief administered by the commission in one year.

However, the commission continues to be under-resourced in light of the growing number and range of complaints it has been handling. And recent Supreme Court decisions such as Gross v. FBL Financial Services, Inc. have put an extra burden on workers who file discrimination cases.

“Discrimination continues to be a substantial problem for too many job seekers and workers, and we must continue to build our capacity to enforce the laws that ensure that workplaces are free of unlawful bias,” said EEOC chair Jacqueline A. Berrien.