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Job Discrimination Complaints Rise
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Job discrimination complaints filed against private employers with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission increased last year to the highest level in six years as the country's economy moved into recession. ``It's not unusual to see an increase in complaints against employers when the economy has gone south and employees are being laid off,'' said Randy Johnson, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's labor policy vice president. The commission released its enforcement and litigation data Friday for the budget year 2001. Complaints increased by 1.2 percent last year to 80,840. That was the most since 1995, when 87,529 claims were filed. The recession began in March, ending a record 10-year stretch of prosperity. Discrimination allegations based on age and disability had the highest rates of increase. ``The incidence rate of age and disability discrimination appears to be on the rise with the graying of America,'' said EEOC Chairwoman Cari M. Dominguez. ``Employers must be vigilant in preventing such characteristics from being factored into their employment decisions.'' The rate of age discrimination complaints increased 1.5 percent last year to 21.5 percent of all allegations. The rate of disability discrimination complaints rose 0.5 percent to 20.4 percent of all cases in 2001. ``We've always found that whenever there is an economic downturn and employers have to do some cost-cutting, older workers more often than not bear the brunt of that,'' said Laurie McCann, an AARP senior lawyer who specializes in age discrimination. The aging baby-boom generation also means more older workers are in the work force who are protected by age discrimination laws, she said. ``It's been said that baby boomers are more likely to stand up for their rights and you may see more who are likely to file charges of discrimination than earlier generations,'' McCann said. Race discrimination allegations accounted for the most complaints at 35.8 percent. Sex followed at 31.1 percent. Overall, 431 job discrimination-related lawsuits were filed last year, the EEOC said. The commission resolved just 90,106 cases last year -- the fewest since 1994, when only 71,563 were closed. Almost two in three of the closed cases last year were found to lack evidence that discrimination actually occurred. The average time to process a complaint dropped 34 days last year to 182 days. The average time to resolve a complaint through voluntary mediation was 84 days last year -- a decrease of 12 days. More non-litigation monetary benefits were paid out in 2001 than in previous years at $247.8 million. Monetary benefits obtained through litigation totaled $50.6 million.
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