EEOC Charge Filings Down And Monetary Rewards To Victims Through Investigations And Litigation Plummet

Shortly after publishing its FY2016 budget justification asking for an additional $8.6 million and authorization to hire hundreds of additional employees (over FY2014 levels), the EEOC released its FY2014 charge and litigation statistics.  Charge receipts, while still historically high, fell to 88,778, down from a high of 99,922 in FY 2010 at the height of the last recession.  The EEOC’s rate of finding reasonable cause was down, as was its effectiveness in successfully conciliating those charges.  Indeed, the monetary benefits secured through its investigations plummeted by over $75 million, or roughly 20%.  The EEOC’s litigation program filed 133 merits suits, down roughly 50% from FY2011 and down 65% over FY2005 levels.  In addition, the litigation program secured only $22.5 million for alleged victims of discrimination, down from a high of $168.6 million in FY2004.

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