EEOC Totals its FY 2003 Enforcement Tally

The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) said in a news release that 81,293 private sector employment discrimination charges were filed with agency field offices nationwide during the October 2002 through September 2003 period and 87,755 were resolved for $236 million in monetary benefits and other relief. The agency filed 361 new lawsuits and resolved 375 suits resulting in $149 million in monetary benefits as well other relief.

“Discrimination continues to be a problem in too many of today’s workplaces,” said EEOC Chair Cari Dominguez in a statement. “As we approach the 40th anniversary of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 this July, it is evident that much progress has been made over the past four decades. Nevertheless, there is still much to do before we fulfill the EEOC’s mission and mandate to eradicate unlawful discrimination from our nation’s workplaces and ensure the freedom to compete for all individuals.”

Approximately 20% of charges filed with EEOC offices resulted in a “merit resolution” with a favorable outcome for the charging party; 63% were deemed to have “no reasonable cause” (no merit); and 17% of charges resulted in “administrative closures.”

The 81,293 total private-sector charges filings in FY 2003 break down as follows, with percentage of the total:

• Race,28,526,35.1%
• Sex/Gender,24,362, 30%
• Retaliation,22,690, 27.9%
• Age,19,124, 23.5%
• Disability,15,377, 18.9%
• National Origin,8,450, 10.4%
• Religion,2,532, 3.1%
• Equal pay,1,167, 1.4%

There were also 13,566 sexual harassment charge filings and 4,649 pregnancy discrimination charge filings with EEOC offices as well as state and local Fair Employment Practices Agencies in FY 2003.

The new data are available on the agency’s web site at www.eeoc.gov .