The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission received a total of 88,778 private-sector charges of discrimination in fiscal year 2014, a decrease of about 5,000 from fiscal year 2013's total, according to a report issued by the agency Tuesday.
Of those charges, 87,442 were resolved, 9,810 fewer than in fiscal year 2013, which the agency said is likely due to the effect of the October 2013 government shutdown and the effects of sequestration, according to the report. The agency's fiscal year ended Sept. 30.
The agency noted, however, that while a hiring freeze and attrition shrank the number of agency staff members between fiscal year 2012 and fiscal year 2013, the agency hired more than 300 employees at the end of fiscal year 2014.
“Increased hiring achieved at the end of FY 2014 and investments in technology should enable us to more effectively investigate charges in a timely fashion, while also improving the quality of our intake and investigations,” EEOC Chair Jenny R. Yang said in a statement.
The EEOC also reported that it had secured $296.1 million in monetary relief for victims of employment discrimination in private-sector and state and local government workplaces through mediation, conciliation and other administrative enforcement.
The agency also secured $22.5 million in monetary relief for charging parties through litigation, and $74 million in monetary relief for federal employees and applicants, it said in its report.
President Barack Obama has nominated former plaintiff attorney Jenny R. Yang as chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the agency said Tuesday.