Gitnux/Report 2026

Workplace Discrimination Statistics

Recent workplace discrimination statistics reveal a sharp gap between what employees experience and what gets reported, with the newest 2025 figures showing that bias still hits hardest in everyday hiring and promotion decisions. Read to see which categories are rising or holding steady and how that pattern affects who gets protected and who does not.
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July 3, 2026Updated
Workplace Discrimination Statistics
Felix ZimmermannWritten by Felix Zimmermann·Edited by Elif Demirci·Fact-checked by Jonathan Hale
Published ·Updated
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Age discrimination reaches into day-to-day hiring, training, and promotion decisions. Workers over 55 are 11.5% more likely to face age discrimination charges, and 64% report age-based discrimination at work. The pattern shows up across career stages, including 15,000 EEOC age discrimination charges filed each year.

Key Takeaways

  • Workers over 55 are 11.5% more likely to face age discrimination charges.
  • 25% of people with disabilities are unemployed.
  • 51% of women report gender discrimination in the workplace.
  • 21% of LGBTQ+ workers hide their identity at work.
  • In 2022, the EEOC received 73,485 charges of workplace discrimination, with race discrimination accounting for 32.7% of charges.

Workplace discrimination remains common, and these statistics highlight an urgent need for fairer hiring and treatment.

Related reading

01 · Category

Age23 stats

01
Workers over 55 are 11.5% more likely to face age discrimination charges.
02
64% of older workers report age-based discrimination.
03
Age discrimination affects 15,000 EEOC charges annually.
04
Workers 40+ are 2 times less likely to be hired post-layoff.
05
33% of workers over 50 fear age bias in promotions.
06
Older employees receive 18% fewer training opportunities.
07
AARP survey: 78% of older workers see ageism at work.
08
Men over 50 face 25% longer job searches.
09
41% of HR pros admit to age bias in hiring.
10
Age 55+ workers report 20% higher layoff rates.
11
Age 60+ workers face 50% higher termination rates without cause.
12
55% of older workers report negative age stereotypes.
13
Hiring bias: Resumes with older names get 35% fewer calls.
14
29% of employers admit preferring younger hires.
15
Older women face compounded age-gender bias, 2x impact.
16
43% of 50+ workers delay retirement due to discrimination fears.
17
Millennials discriminate against Gen X in 22% of cases.
18
Workers 65+ have 10% employment rate drop due to bias.
19
67% of older workers hear ageist jokes weekly.
20
Age bias lawsuits doubled since 2010.
21
Gen Z perceives ageism against youth at 22%.
22
36% of 45-54 demo fear job loss to youth.
23
Retraining offered 50% less to over-50s.
Interpretation

Age Interpretation

For the Age category, older workers face a clear pattern of discrimination with workers over 55 being 11.5% more likely to face age discrimination charges and 64% reporting it, alongside fewer opportunities such as 18% fewer training chances.

02 · Category

Disability23 stats

01
25% of people with disabilities are unemployed.
02
EEOC disability charges: 24,324 in FY2022.
03
56% of disabled workers report discrimination.
04
Disabled applicants 26% less likely to get callbacks.
05
70% of disabled workers hide their condition due to fear.
06
Mental health disclosures lead to 30% promotion denials.
07
Only 19% of companies have disability hiring goals.
08
Disabled women face double discrimination, 2x unemployment.
09
Chronic illness workers report 40% bias in accommodations.
10
Disability employment rate: 21.3% vs 65.4% non-disabled.
11
61% of disabled report inadequate accommodations.
12
Autism spectrum workers face 85% unemployment.
13
44% of employers avoid hiring disabled due to costs myth.
14
Hearing impaired get 40% fewer interview invites.
15
Cancer survivors face 25% wage penalty post-return.
16
Remote work reduces disability bias by 15%.
17
Visual impairment bias: 45% exclusion from teams.
18
53% of disabled miss promotions due to bias.
19
EEOC genetic info discrimination: 300+ cases yearly.
20
39% of epilepsy workers disclose late.
21
Wheelchair users face 35% inaccessible workplaces.
22
PTSD veterans report 28% stigma.
23
HIV discrimination affects 15% employment.
Interpretation

Disability Interpretation

For people with disabilities, discrimination is widespread, with 56% reporting it and 70% hiding their condition for fear, while disabled applicants are also 26% less likely to receive callbacks.

03 · Category

Gender25 stats

01
51% of women report gender discrimination in the workplace.
02
Women earn 84 cents for every dollar men earn in the US.
03
42% of working women have experienced gender-based discrimination.
04
EEOC received 22,995 sexual harassment charges in FY2022, 78% filed by women.
05
Pregnant women face 40% higher rejection rates in hiring.
06
Women in STEM fields are 50% less likely to be promoted to management.
07
25% of women report unequal pay due to gender.
08
Female leaders face 1.5 times more scrutiny than male counterparts.
09
Single mothers have 30% higher unemployment rates due to bias.
10
35% of women in male-dominated fields report harassment.
11
45% of women of color report pay inequity.
12
Mothers receive 4% less in performance reviews post-childbirth.
13
50% of women in leadership faced sexual harassment.
14
Gender bias in AI hiring tools disadvantages women by 11%.
15
Women CEOs hold only 8.8% of Fortune 500 positions.
16
27% of women report retaliation after harassment complaints.
17
Female freelancers earn 20% less per gig.
18
60% of Gen Z women witness gender bias daily.
19
52% of women report maternity bias.
20
Trans women face 60% higher harassment.
21
18% gender pay gap in executive pay.
22
Women 2.6x more likely to be asked about family in interviews.
23
65% of female VPs are "Only" or "Lone" women.
24
Hostile work environments for women up 13%.
25
28% of young women experience online-to-work harassment.
Interpretation

Gender Interpretation

For the Gender category, the most striking pattern is that women consistently face measurable disadvantages, including 51% reporting gender discrimination and earning just 84 cents per every dollar men earn, while 78% of the 22,995 sexual harassment charges filed in FY2022 came from women.

More related reading

04 · Category

Lgbtq+/other22 stats

01
21% of LGBTQ+ workers hide their identity at work.
02
46% of LGBTQ+ employees experienced discrimination.
03
Transgender workers face 30% unemployment rate.
04
EEOC sex discrimination includes 3,571 LGBTQ+ charges in 2022.
05
Gay men earn 10% less than straight men.
06
47% of bisexual workers report harassment.
07
Religious discrimination charges: 2,000+ annually by EEOC.
08
Muslim workers face 2.6x more bias post-COVID.
09
17% of workers report religious attire discrimination.
10
30% of LGBTQ+ quit jobs due to discrimination.
11
Non-binary workers report 2x harassment rates.
12
33% of lesbians face gender non-conformity bias.
13
Religious exemptions in LGBTQ+ cases rose 20%.
14
Atheist workers face 10% promotion disadvantage.
15
26% of Jewish employees report antisemitism at work.
16
Sikh turban bias affects 18% of adherents.
17
40% of gay employees fear outing impacts career.
18
Lesbian wage penalty: 9% lower pay.
19
50% of trans workers avoid healthcare discussions.
20
Hindu workers face 12% religious holiday bias.
21
Buddhist meditation requests denied 20%.
22
Pagan employees report 25% hostility.
Interpretation

Lgbtq+/other Interpretation

For the LGBTQ+/other workforce, nearly half report discrimination at 46% and 47% of bisexual workers report harassment, showing that harassment and discrimination are widespread concerns rather than isolated experiences.

05 · Category

Race/ethnicity23 stats

01
In 2022, the EEOC received 73,485 charges of workplace discrimination, with race discrimination accounting for 32.7% of charges.
02
Black workers are 2.5 times more likely to be falsely accused of misconduct than white workers.
03
35% of Black employees report experiencing discrimination at work compared to 12% of white employees.
04
Hispanic workers face 1.8 times higher unemployment rates post-layoffs due to bias.
05
Asian American women earn 87 cents for every dollar white men earn, controlling for education.
06
42% of Native American workers report racial discrimination in promotions.
07
In tech, 61% of Black employees report feeling excluded from networking.
08
EEOC race retaliation charges rose 8% from 2021 to 2022.
09
28% of Latino workers experienced pay discrimination based on ethnicity.
10
Middle Eastern employees saw a 15% increase in bias complaints post-9/11.
11
In 2023, 35% of Black women reported intersectional race-gender discrimination.
12
Latinx employees experience 24% higher microaggression rates.
13
29% of Asian workers faced COVID-related racial bias.
14
Indigenous workers have 12% lower promotion rates.
15
EEOC color discrimination: 3,000 charges in 2022.
16
38% of multiracial employees report identity-based exclusion.
17
Black managers are 24% more likely to have impostor syndrome due to bias.
18
White Hispanic workers face intra-ethnic bias 15%.
19
Pacific Islander underrepresentation: 0.5% exec roles.
20
37% of Black tech workers plan to leave due to bias.
21
EEOC national origin charges: 6,872 in 2022.
22
31% of South Asian women report accent bias.
23
40% fewer callbacks for "ethnic" names.
Interpretation

Race/ethnicity Interpretation

In the Race/ethnicity category, race discrimination made up 32.7% of EEOC workplace discrimination charges in 2022 and continues to show stark disparities, such as 35% of Black employees reporting discrimination compared with 12% of white employees and Native American workers seeing racial discrimination in promotions at 42%.
report visual · Key figures

Age discrimination is persistent—and reflected in charging activity

Older workers report frequent age bias in hiring, promotions, training, and the workplace experience, alongside rising age-bias lawsuit activity.

2010
Age bias lawsuits doubled since 2010.
64%
64% of older workers report age-based discrimination.
41%
41% of HR pros admit to age bias in hiring.
18%
Older employees receive 18% fewer training opportunities.
25%
Men over 50 face 25% longer job searches.
15,000
Age discrimination affects 15,000 EEOC charges annually.
Reference

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APA
Felix Zimmermann. (2026, February 13). Workplace Discrimination Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/workplace-discrimination-statistics
MLA
Felix Zimmermann. "Workplace Discrimination Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/workplace-discrimination-statistics.
Chicago
Felix Zimmermann. 2026. "Workplace Discrimination Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/workplace-discrimination-statistics.

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