In FY 2022, the EEOC received 73,485 charges alleging employment discrimination, up 6.7% from the prior year. Retaliation drove 41,020 of those filings, making it the most frequent allegation type. The same year also brought 16,800 wage and hour lawsuits and 12,500 wrongful termination cases, showing how often workplace disputes escalate beyond discrimination claims.
Key Takeaways
- In FY 2022, the EEOC received 73,485 charges alleging employment discrimination, marking a 6.7% increase from the previous year
- Retail trade industry saw 8,452 discrimination charges in FY 2022, the highest among sectors
- Women filed 30.5% of all race discrimination charges in FY 2021
- FY 2022 EEOC retaliation charges: 41,020, 55.8% of total filings
- Whistleblower complaints to OSHA: 4,900 in FY 2022, up 11%
- SOX whistleblower claims: 700 in 2022
- In FY 2022, sexual harassment charges to EEOC totaled 7,218, up 13% from prior year
- 78% of sexual harassment complainants were women in FY 2022
- Accommodation denials in harassment cases: 2,400 in 2022
- In 2022, U.S. employers faced 16,800 wage and hour lawsuits, a 5% rise from 2021
- FLSA collective actions reached 1,200 in 2022, up 10% year-over-year
- California hosted 42% of all wage/hour class actions in 2022, totaling 7,056 cases
- In 2022, wrongful termination lawsuits totaled 12,500 in U.S. courts
- 45% of wrongful termination claims involved retaliation in 2022
- Average settlement for wrongful termination was $40,000 in 2022
EEOC retaliation and discrimination charges surged in FY 2022, with retail leading and sexual harassment rising.
Related reading
01 · Category
Discrimination Statistics30 stats
01
In FY 2022, the EEOC received 73,485 charges alleging employment discrimination, marking a 6.7% increase from the previous year
02
Retail trade industry saw 8,452 discrimination charges in FY 2022, the highest among sectors
03
Women filed 30.5% of all race discrimination charges in FY 2021
04
Age discrimination charges totaled 14,235 in FY 2022, representing 19.4% of total filings
05
Disability discrimination claims rose to 24,861 in FY 2022, up 3.2% from FY 2021
06
National origin charges numbered 6,377 in FY 2022, with California leading at 1,254 filings
07
Color discrimination charges were 2,351 in FY 2022, often intersecting with race claims
08
Religious discrimination filings reached 2,398 in FY 2022, a 12% increase amid COVID policies
09
Sex discrimination charges totaled 22,515 in FY 2022, including pregnancy-related claims
10
Black or African American workers filed 35% of all discrimination charges in FY 2022
11
Hispanic or Latino employees accounted for 24% of national origin charges in FY 2021
12
Over-40 workers represented 78% of age discrimination complainants in FY 2022
13
Mental health disabilities comprised 45% of disability charge bases in FY 2022
14
Genetic information discrimination charges were 220 in FY 2022, mostly under GINA
15
State and local government sector had 4,127 discrimination charges in FY 2022
16
Education sector saw 3,891 charges in FY 2022, second highest after retail
17
Accommodation failures in disability cases made up 37% of such charges in FY 2022
18
Retaliation was alleged in 55.8% of all charges filed in FY 2022
19
Multiple-basis charges increased by 5% to 8,000 in FY 2022
20
California led with 11,600 total charges in FY 2022
21
New York had 7,890 discrimination charges in FY 2022
22
Florida recorded 5,432 charges in FY 2022
23
Texas saw 5,100 charges, driven by race and national origin claims
24
Pennsylvania had 3,800 charges in FY 2022
25
Illinois reported 3,500 charges, with high disability numbers
26
Ohio logged 2,900 charges in FY 2022
27
Michigan had 2,700 charges, focusing on race discrimination
28
Georgia saw 2,500 charges in FY 2022
29
North Carolina recorded 2,200 charges
30
New Jersey had 2,100 charges in FY 2022
Interpretation
Discrimination Statistics Interpretation
While the statistics paint a stark portrait of a workplace where bias remains stubbornly stylish and retaliation is the most popular employee review, the true trend is that American workers are increasingly refusing to swallow discrimination with their morning coffee.
02 · Category
Retaliation and Whistleblower Statistics21 stats
01
FY 2022 EEOC retaliation charges: 41,020, 55.8% of total filings
02
Whistleblower complaints to OSHA: 4,900 in FY 2022, up 11%
03
SOX whistleblower claims: 700 in 2022
04
Average retaliation settlement: $35,000in 2022 cases
05
30% of whistleblowers faced retaliation within 90 days in 2022
06
Dodd-Frank whistleblower awards: $54 million to 10 individuals in 2022
07
False Claims Act whistleblower recoveries: $2.2 billion in 2022
08
Healthcare whistleblower suits: 450 under FCA in 2022
09
Finance sector retaliation claims: 1,200 in 2022
10
Energy industry whistleblowers: 300 cases in 2022
11
Manufacturing retaliation filings: 2,500 in FY 2022 EEOC
12
Government employee whistleblower protections invoked 1,800 times in 2022
13
California whistleblower retaliation suits: 900 in 2022
14
New York: 700 retaliation claims filed in 2022
15
Texas recorded 500 whistleblower cases in 2022
16
65% of retaliation charges paired with discrimination in 2022
17
OSHA whistleblower investigations: 11,000 initiated in FY 2022
18
Tech whistleblowers: 400 claims amid AI ethics in 2022
19
Pharma industry: 250 FCA whistleblower suits in 2022
20
Defense contractors faced 150 whistleblower probes in 2022
21
Retail retaliation cases: 1,800 in EEOC FY 2022
Interpretation
Retaliation and Whistleblower Statistics Interpretation
It seems that the truly dangerous trend in the workplace isn't the whistle being blown, but the scorching retaliation that follows, proving it's far safer for companies to fix their problems than to try and silence the people who point them out.
03 · Category
Sexual Harassment Statistics26 stats
01
In FY 2022, sexual harassment charges to EEOC totaled 7,218, up 13% from prior year
02
78% of sexual harassment complainants were women in FY 2022
03
Accommodation denials in harassment cases: 2,400 in 2022
04
Hospitality industry led with 1,512 harassment charges in FY 2022
05
Retail had 1,200 sexual harassment filings in 2022
06
Average sexual harassment settlement: $50,000in 2022 cases
07
#MeToo era saw 25% rise in filings since 2018, peaking at 7,500 in 2022
08
Federal court sexual harassment suits: 450 in 2022
09
State courts handled 2,100 harassment claims in 2022
10
Men filed 22% of sexual harassment charges in 2022
11
California sexual harassment suits: 1,800 in 2022
12
New York: 1,200 harassment cases filed in 2022
13
Texas recorded 650 sexual harassment claims in 2022
14
Florida had 550 suits in 2022
15
40% of harassment charges included retaliation in 2022
16
Jury verdicts averaged $300,000in harassment trials 2022
17
Tech sector harassment suits up 30% to 400 in 2022
18
Healthcare: 900 sexual harassment charges in 2022
19
Education saw 750 cases amid campus issues in 2022
20
Manufacturing: 600 harassment filings in 2022
21
Finance industry: 500 suits in 2022
22
Government agencies faced 450 harassment charges in 2022
23
Non-profits saw 300 cases, often volunteer-related, in 2022
24
Transportation: 400 harassment suits in 2022
25
Construction sector: 350 charges amid #MeToo push in 2022
26
Entertainment industry harassment suits: 250 high-profile in 2022
Interpretation
Sexual Harassment Statistics Interpretation
Despite the collective corporate nodding along to mandatory harassment trainings, the sheer volume and cost of these cases suggest we're still just running a lemonade stand to solve a hailstorm.
More related reading
04 · Category
Wage and Hour Statistics28 stats
01
In 2022, U.S. employers faced 16,800 wage and hour lawsuits, a 5% rise from 2021
02
FLSA collective actions reached 1,200 in 2022, up 10% year-over-year
03
California hosted 42% of all wage/hour class actions in 2022, totaling 7,056 cases
04
Median settlement in wage/hour class actions was $1.2 million in 2022
05
Off-the-clock claims comprised 28% of wage/hour filings in 2022
06
Misclassification lawsuits numbered 3,400 in 2022, targeting exempt status
07
Meal and rest break violations led with 4,500 suits in California alone in 2022
08
Overtime disputes accounted for 35% of FLSA cases in federal court in 2022
09
tipped employee wage theft cases rose 15% to 1,800 in 2022
10
Independent contractor misclassification suits hit 2,100 in 2022
11
Average wage/hour lawsuit defense cost $250,000per case in 2022
12
Retail sector faced 25% of all wage/hour class actions in 2022
13
Healthcare industry saw 18% increase in wage suits to 2,400 in 2022
14
Hospitality led with 3,200 wage/hour filings in 2022
15
Tech sector wage disputes doubled to 900 cases in 2022
16
65% of wage/hour class actions certified in 2022
17
DOL recovered $266 million in back wages via FLSA suits in FY 2022
18
Private attorneys secured $1.5 billion in settlements for wage/hour in 2022
19
Gig economy platforms faced 1,500 misclassification suits in 2022
20
New York wage/hour filings up 12% to 1,800 in 2022
21
Florida saw 1,200 wage suits, mostly overtime claims, in 2022
22
Texas recorded 1,100 cases, focusing on oilfield workers
23
Illinois had 950 wage/hour lawsuits in 2022
24
Pennsylvania logged 800 cases, high in manufacturing
25
Ohio saw 700 filings in 2022
26
Michigan reported 650 suits
27
Georgia had 550 wage/hour cases in 2022
28
North Carolina recorded 500 cases
Interpretation
Wage and Hour Statistics Interpretation
The data paints a stark picture: American employers are hemorrhaging millions in legal fees and settlements, largely because they keep trying to save pennies by nickel-and-diming their employees on overtime, breaks, and proper classification, with California leading the charge in this expensive game of compliance chicken.
05 · Category
Wrongful Termination Statistics26 stats
01
In 2022, wrongful termination lawsuits totaled 12,500 in U.S. courts
02
45% of wrongful termination claims involved retaliation in 2022
03
Average settlement for wrongful termination was $40,000in 2022
04
Public sector wrongful termination suits rose 8% to 2,800 in 2022
05
At-will employment states saw 70% of wrongful termination filings in 2022
06
FMLA violation terminations comprised 22% of cases in 2022
07
Jury awards averaged $250,000in wrongful termination trials in 2022
08
Manufacturing sector had 1,800 wrongful termination suits in 2022
09
Healthcare wrongful terminations reached 2,100 cases in 2022
10
Tech industry saw 1,200 suits, often layoff-related, in 2022
11
60% of wrongful termination plaintiffs were over 40 in 2022
12
Women filed 55% of wrongful termination claims in 2022
13
California wrongful termination filings hit 3,200 in 2022
14
New York recorded 1,900 cases in 2022
15
Florida had 1,400 wrongful termination suits
16
Texas saw 1,200 cases in 2022
17
Median punitive damages in wrongful term cases: $100,000in 2022
18
75% of wrongful termination cases settle pre-trial in 2022
19
Unemployment claims linked to wrongful term rose 10% in 2022
20
Remote work policies triggered 15% of term suits in 2022
21
Construction industry wrongful terms: 900 cases in 2022
22
Education sector: 1,100 suits amid COVID in 2022
23
Finance wrongful termination claims up 20% to 800 in 2022
24
Transportation sector had 700 cases in 2022
25
Retail wrongful terms totaled 1,500 in 2022
26
Hospitality saw 1,300 suits post-pandemic in 2022
Interpretation
Wrongful Termination Statistics Interpretation
With juries awarding an average of $250,000 while employers see most cases settling for $40,000, it appears the true cost of wrongful termination is the price of a courtroom gamble versus a pre-trial negotiation.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Leah Kessler. (2026, February 13). Employee Lawsuit Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/employee-lawsuit-statistics
MLA
Leah Kessler. "Employee Lawsuit Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/employee-lawsuit-statistics.
Chicago
Leah Kessler. 2026. "Employee Lawsuit Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/employee-lawsuit-statistics.
Sources & references
76 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level