Workplace Discrimination Statistics for 2024

Posted on October 16, 2024 in Employment Law

A growing awareness of workplace discrimination and policies to combat these practices is a necessary tool to support impacted employees. Even now, fighting discrimination is a challenge that continues. California’s implementation of some of the strictest anti-discrimination laws is just a start. Below, we look at the current workplace discrimination statistics to share an awareness of the challenges many still face throughout the country and in California. Walker Law’s California labor and employment litigation attorneys continue to fight for every employee’s rights in the workplace.

Key Workplace Discrimination Statistics

The current statistics on discrimination in the workplace are a sobering reminder of the battles employees continue to fight against discriminatory practices. Many acts of workplace discrimination go unreported. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) addressed 522,132 complaints through their call center over the year, an almost 10% increase from the previous year. Email complaints to the agency totaled 86,008, demonstrating a more than 25% increase from the prior reporting year. The EEOC also reports:

• New discrimination charges total 81,055, an over 10% increase from the previous year
• The most prevalent form of reported discrimination is retaliation, at 51.6%
• Racial discrimination complaints account for 28.6% of initiated actions
• Age discrimination accounts for 15.6% of complaints
• The number of sex-based harassment allegations totals 14,195, the highest in over a decade

Retaliation, the most significant workplace discrimination offense, may occur when an employee engages in a legally protected activity like reporting questionable work systems. More recent California laws expressly prohibit retaliation and discrimination.

California Workplace Discrimination Statistics

A state-by-state breakdown of discriminatory charges receipts by the EEOC identifies the following discrimination types as most prevalent in the California workplace:

• Retaliation charges: 2,549
• Sex-based discrimination: 1,778
• Disability discrimination charges: 1,716
• Racially-based discrimination: 1,651

Legal recourse against discriminatory practices is also possible for independent contractors in California. Taking steps to document discrimination is critical to any case. Both state and federal laws offer protection of your rights.

Demographics Most Impacted by Discrimination

Specific demographics are more prone to experiencing discrimination in the workplace. Many of these individuals perform essential jobs, making up a significant portion of the workforce performing critical day-to-day tasks. Below, we recognize the impact of discrimination on the following demographics:

• Over 45% of all workers report hearing anti-LGBT remarks at work
• Black workers suffer disproportionately from discrimination, earning less overall than the average U.S. worker and having the highest unemployment rate of any race
• Four out of ten black workers report experiencing discrimination or unfair treatment in the workplace
• 48% of black men say they experience workplace discrimination
• 36% of black women report discrimination by an employer
• 25% of Asian workers report experiencing employer discrimination
• 20% of Hispanic workers report they face discrimination in the workplace

Racial discrimination contributes to a lack of diversity in the workforce. Protections are in place to address these actions, allowing you to file a legal action based on racial discrimination in the workplace.

Combating Discrimination in the Workplace

Every employee has the potential to fight discrimination. Discriminatory practices can create a hostile work environment, making it challenging to perform a job even when the discrimination targets someone other than you. Reporting incidents of discrimination is essential. Legal guidance is always available, particularly when a company fails to address discriminatory acts.