Workplace Sexual Harassment Statistics 2026

Workplace sexual harassment is still widespread, with 25% of women reporting sexual harassment at work and 60% reporting unwanted sexual attention. In many cases it never reaches HR, since only 12% of incidents are formally reported. The numbers also track patterns by industry and role, including 55% of customer perpetrators in hospitality and 50% of perpetrators who are supervisors.

Key Takeaways

27% quit jobs due to harassment trauma
Hospitality industry: 55% customer perpetrators
50% of perpetrators are supervisors
81% of women and 43% of men have experienced sexual harassment or assault in their lifetime
58% of women aged 25-35 report workplace sexual advances

Workplace sexual harassment remains common, underscoring the urgent need for stronger prevention and reporting.

01 · Category

Impacts and Responses22 stats

27% quit jobs due to harassment trauma

Victims 3x more likely to suffer depression

42% of victims miss work days

Only 12% of incidents formally reported

EEOC sexual harassment charges: 7,510 in FY2020

60% of victims experience anxiety disorders

Retaliation in 40% of reports

Victims earn 10% less long-term

71% fear retaliation for reporting

Training reduces incidents by 25%

35% of cases settled out of court

PTSD in 19% of severe victims

Companies lose $2.6B/year in turnover

88% distrust employer response

Victims 2x more likely to leave profession

Hotlines increase reporting by 50%

45% of lawsuits result in monetary relief

Sleep disorders in 30% victims

Policy audits reduce claims 20%

66% victims change jobs within 2 years

Bystander intervention cuts incidents 15%

EEOC recoveries: $70M in 2022

Interpretation

Impacts and Responses Interpretation

This grim math reveals a corporate ecosystem where the staggering cost of silence and retaliation—measured in broken careers, shattered health, and billions lost—far outweighs the straightforward investment in trust, training, and accountability that could actually fix it.

02 · Category

Industry and Sector Data24 stats

Hospitality industry: 55% customer perpetrators

Tech sector: 28% of women harassed

Healthcare: 52% nurses report harassment

Finance: 36% incidence among women

Retail: 43% of female employees

Academia: 51% of female faculty

Military: 24% of women active duty

Journalism: 67% women experienced it

Construction: 74% women harassed

Entertainment: 87% women over career

Government: 33% federal workers

Manufacturing: 29% overall

Education K-12: 45% teachers

Law firms: 41% associates

Non-profits: 39% staff

Transportation: 58% drivers/waitstaff

Sports: 79% female athletes/coaches

Energy/Oil: 68% field workers women

Restaurants: 80% servers harassed by customers

Fashion: 60% models/employees

Automotive: 55% assembly line women

Telecom: 34% call center staff

Pharmaceuticals: 37% sales reps

Agriculture: 73% farmworkers

Interpretation

Industry and Sector Data Interpretation

Across every sector, from the battlefield to the farm field to the server's station, a grimly predictable pattern emerges: the workplace, for women, is far too often a minefield of misconduct where the only consistent job requirement seems to be enduring it.

03 · Category

Perpetrator Characteristics25 stats

50% of perpetrators are supervisors

75% of harassers are men

31% of perpetrators are peers/co-workers

Senior executives commit 40% of incidents

20% of harassers are clients/customers

Men aged 35-54 commit 45% of cases

15% of female perpetrators in mixed-gender reports

Repeat offenders: 60% of total incidents

55% of male harassers have higher education

White men: 70% of reported perpetrators

25% of harassers are in HR/management roles

Alcohol-involved: 30% of perpetrator incidents

42% of perpetrators deny actions

Male supervisors: 3x more likely to harass

18% same-sex perpetrators for male victims

Harassers earning >$100k: 50%

35% of perpetrators have prior complaints

Younger male harassers (<30): 22%

28% of perpetrators are vendors/contractors

Serial harassers responsible for 80% of claims

65% male, 25% female, 10% non-binary identified

Harassers in sales: 38% overrepresentation

52% of harassers married

Blue-collar men: 30% of incidents despite 20% workforce

44% of perpetrators have leadership positions

Interpretation

Perpetrator Characteristics Interpretation

Power and permission are so deeply entwined in these numbers that it appears the primary prerequisite for harassment isn't a gender, but a position from which one feels insulated from consequence.

Statistics · Violence AbuseSexual Assult Statistics

04 · Category

Prevalence and Incidence29 stats

81% of women and 43% of men have experienced sexual harassment or assault in their lifetime

25% of women have experienced sexual harassment at work

60% of women report experiencing unwanted sexual attention at work

38% of women and 14% of men have experienced sexual harassment at work according to a 2018 survey

1 in 3 women have been sexually harassed at work

40% of American women have experienced workplace sexual harassment

75% of workplace harassment incidents go unreported

27% of female federal employees experienced sexual harassment

50% of women in Hollywood reported sexual harassment

35% of women and 10% of men in tech report harassment

29% of women experienced verbal sexual harassment at work

57% of women in the UK have faced workplace harassment

46% of women and 17% of men faced harassment in Australia

69% of women in India reported workplace harassment

52% of US working women experienced harassment

33% of women aged 18-34 faced online sexual harassment at work

41% of women in healthcare report harassment

24% of all US workers experienced harassment

77% of women faced sexual harassment in professional settings

31% of female physicians reported harassment

59% of women in politics experienced harassment

65% of trans women faced workplace harassment

22% of men in blue-collar jobs report harassment

48% of women under 30 experienced harassment

36% of all employees witnessed harassment

90% of harassment is by someone senior

28% of women in finance reported harassment

44% of working mothers faced harassment

51% of women in sales roles experienced it

Interpretation

Prevalence and Incidence Interpretation

These staggering statistics reveal an epidemic of workplace sexual harassment that spans industries, genders, and nations, proving it is not an anomaly but a systemic failure demanding urgent, concrete action.

05 · Category

Victim Demographics27 stats

58% of women aged 25-35 report workplace sexual advances

Women aged 18-24 are 2.5 times more likely to experience harassment

72% of female victims are between 25-44 years old

Black women face 1.5 times higher rates than white women

40% of LGBTQ+ women report harassment vs 25% straight women

Single women experience 30% more harassment than married women

67% of female interns report harassment

Hispanic women report 35% incidence rate

Women with disabilities face 50% higher risk

55% of female managers experienced it

Asian women in tech: 45% rate

62% of young female professionals (under 30)

Native American women: 60% lifetime workplace harassment

Female veterans: 49% post-service harassment

38% of female college graduates in first job

Women in rural areas: 42% vs 36% urban

70% of female flight attendants under 30

Transgender employees: 47% female-identifying

53% of women with children under 18

Low-income women (<$30k): 65%

61% of female hourly workers

Immigrant women: 68% non-citizen rate

45% of women over 50 still report it

Female entrepreneurs: 39%

56% of bisexual women

Women in unions: 32% lower rate

64% of female temps/agency workers

Interpretation

Victim Demographics Interpretation

It's a depressing math problem where the 'common denominator' is being a woman at work, but the risk factor multiplies if you're also young, marginalized, or simply trying to earn a living.

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

Ryan Townsend. (2026, February 13). Workplace Sexual Harassment Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/workplace-sexual-harassment-statistics

MLA

Ryan Townsend. "Workplace Sexual Harassment Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/workplace-sexual-harassment-statistics.

Chicago

Ryan Townsend. 2026. "Workplace Sexual Harassment Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/workplace-sexual-harassment-statistics.

Sources & references

89 sources cited across this report

Workplace Sexual Harassment Statistics

Key Takeaways

Related reading

Impacts and Responses22 stats

Impacts and Responses Interpretation

Industry and Sector Data24 stats

Industry and Sector Data Interpretation

Perpetrator Characteristics25 stats

Perpetrator Characteristics Interpretation

More related reading

Prevalence and Incidence29 stats

Prevalence and Incidence Interpretation

Victim Demographics27 stats

Victim Demographics Interpretation

Cite This Report

Sources & references