U.S. flag
        An official website of the United States government
          Here’s how you know
        Here’s how you know**Official websites use .gov**
              
                A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
        **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
              
                A **lock** (
              A locked padlock
              ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive
                information only on official, secure websites.  Home
                    *U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission*

      search
      Menu
      Any of these words (optional)
Search

    close
            About EEOC
          
                        
  
    **About EEOC**
                        Overview
                                  The Commission and The General Counsel
                                  Commission Votes
                                  Meetings of the Commission
                                  EEOC History
                                  **News and Information**
                        Newsroom
                                  What You Should Know
                                  Legislative Affairs
                                  Publications
                                  Outreach and Education
                                  FOIA
              **Laws and Enforcement**
                        Laws, Regulations, Guidance and MOUs
                                  Discrimination by Type
                                  Mediation
                                  Litigation
                                  Systemic Enforcement
                                  Commissioner Charges and Directed Investigations
              **Programs and Performance**
                        Budget and Performance
                                  Initiatives
                                  Interagency Programs
                                  State and Local Programs
                                  Task Forces
                                  Tribal Programs
              **Data and Analytics**
                        Overview
                                  Data Governance
                                  EEO Data Collections
                                  Data and Statistics
                                  Data Tools and Products
                                  No FEAR Act Data
                                  **Inside EEOC**
                        Careers
                                  Office for Civil Rights, Diversity and Inclusion
                                  Doing Business with EEOC
                                  Privacy
                                  Office of Inspector General
          
                                            
  
      
                  
                        Employees & Job Applicants
          
                        
  
    **Employees & Applicants**
                        Overview
                                  Coverage
                                  Timeliness
                                  Prohibited Practices
              **Filing a Charge of Discrimination**
                        Filing a Charge
                                  How to File
                                  After You File a Charge
                                  Confidentiality
                                  Mediation
                                  Remedies
                                  Existing Charges
                                  Filing a Lawsuit
              **Discrimination by Type**
                        Age
                                  Disability
                                  Equal Pay
                                  Genetic Information
                                  Harassment
                                  National Origin Discrimination
                                  Pregnancy Discrimination
                                  Race/Color Discrimination
                                  Religious Discrimination
                                  Retaliation
                                  Sex
                                  Sexual Harassment
                                  Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
          
                                  
  
      
                  
                        Employers / Small Business
          
                        
  
    **Employers / Small Business**
                        Overview
                                  Coverage
                                  After a Charge is Filed
                                  Resolving a Charge
                                  Commissioner Charges and Directed Investigations
                                  Remedies
              **Small Business Resource Center**
                        Small Business Home
                                  Small Business Requirements
                                  Frequently Asked Questions
                                  Tips for Small Businesses
                                  Making an Employment Decision?
                                  EEOC Resources
                                  Small Business Assistance
                                  Small Business Fact Sheet
                                  Small Business Videos
                                  EEOC Glossary
                                  Contact Us
              **Discrimination by Type**
                        Age
                                  Disability
                                  Equal Pay
                                  Genetic Information
                                  Harassment
                                  National Origin
                                  Pregnancy
                                  Race/Color
                                  Religion
                                  Retaliation
                                  Sex
                                  Sexual Harassment
                                  Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
                                  Prohibited Practices
              Recordkeeping
                                  EEO Data Collections
                                  "Know Your Rights" Poster
                                  Training
                                  Other Employment Issues
          
                                            
  
      
                  
                        Federal Sector
          
                        
  
    **Federal Agencies**
                        Overview
                                  Federal EEO Coordination
                                  Federal Agency EEO Directors
                                  Laws, Regulations, Guidance & MOUs
                                  Management Directives & Federal Sector Guidance
                                  Federal Training & Outreach
                                  Resources
              **Federal Employees & Job Applicants**
                        Overview
                                  Federal Complaint Process
                                  Federal Sector Alternative Dispute Resolution
                                  Discrimination by Type
                                  Other Federal Protections
                                  Prohibited Practices
                                  Resources
          
                        
  
      
                  
                        Contact Us
          
                        
  
    Contact EEOC
                                  Find Your Nearest Office
                                  Office Operating Status
                                  Frequently Asked Questions

        
                  Languages
    English
              Español (Spanish)
                    Resources in Other Languages
                    عربي (Arabic)
              简体中文 (Chinese, Simplified)
              繁體中文 - Chinese (Traditional)
              Kreyòl Ayisyen (Haitian Creole)
              한국어 (Korean)
              Русском (Russian)
              Tagalog (Tagalog)
              Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
              فارسی (Persian. Farsi)
              پښتو (Pashto)
          

  

  Breadcrumb
Home
  Data and Analytics - Overview
  Sexual Harassment in Our Nation’s Workplaces

                      
                        

          
          
                        Image
                                              EEOC Data Highlight, April 2002, No. 2
          Sexual Harassment in Our Nation’s Workplaces
              


          
  *Download a PDF version of this document*.

April is National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.[1]  The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), which prohibits discrimination based on sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity). Sexual harassment or sexual assault in the workplace is a form of sex discrimination that violates Title VII.

Preventing and remedying harassment in the workplace, including sexual harassment, has long been a top agency priority. This EEOC data highlight focuses on charges alleging sexual harassment under Title VII filed with the agency beginning in FY 2018, when the #MeToo movement went viral and received international attention, through FY 2021. The data profiled below also includes other allegations of discrimination, including on the bases of race, retaliation, and national origin, filed concurrently with allegations of sexual harassment between FY 2018 and FY 2021.

These data do not tell the full story of sexual harassment in our nation’s workplaces. In June 2016, the EEOC released a report on the study of harassment in the workplace which noted that workplace harassment often goes unreported.[2] For example, one study cited in the report found that 90% of individuals who say they have experienced harassment never take formal action against the harassment, such as filing a charge or a complaint.[3]

EEOC Charge Data (FY 2018 – FY 2021)

Between FY 2018 and FY 2021, the EEOC received a total of 98,411 charges alleging harassment under any basis and 27,291 charges alleging sexual harassment.

Of significant note is the increased number of sexual harassment charges received by the EEOC in the two years following #MeToo going viral in October 2017 (see Figure 1).

***Figure 1.****Sexual Harassment Charge Receipts, FY 2014 – FY 2021*

Image
                                              Figure 1.  Sexual Harassment Charge Receipts, FY 2014 – FY 2021. Data table follows.***Figure 1.****Sexual Harassment Charge Receipts, FY 2014 – FY 2021*
	Year
			Charge ReceiptsFY 2014
			6,862FY 2015
			6,822FY 2016
			6,758FY 2017
			6,696FY 2018
			7,609FY 2019
			7,514FY 2020
			6,587FY 2021
			5,581

SOURCE: U.S. EEOC, Integrated Mission System, Charge Data, FY 2014 – FY 2021.

In FY 2018, the EEOC received 7,609 sexual harassment charges compared to 6,696 in FY 2017 – an increase of 13.6%. Additionally, sexual harassment charges as a percentage of all harassment charges began increasing in FY 2018. Between FY 2018 and FY 2021, sexual harassment charges accounted for 27.7% of all harassment charges compared to 24.7% of all harassment charges between FY 2014 and FY 2017. Sexual harassment charges also accounted for a greater percentage of the total charges under all statutes received by the EEOC between FY 2018 and FY 2021 (9.8%) compared to between FY 2014 and FY 2017 (7.7%). Also, between FY 2018 and FY 2021, harassment charges made up 35.4% of the total charges (277,872) received by the EEOC.

***Figure 2.*** *Percent of Sexual Harassment Charges Filed by Women, FY 2018 – FY 2021*

Image
                                              Figure 2. 78.2% of sexual harassment charges were filed by women.***Figure 3.*** *Percent of All Harassment Charges Filed by Women, FY 2018 – FY 2021*

Image
                                              Figure 3. 62.2% of all harassment charges were filed by womenSOURCE: U.S. EEOC, Integrated Mission System, Charge Data, FY 2018 – FY 2021.

Women also continue to file a disproportionate number of the charges filed with the EEOC alleging sexual harassment. Women filed 78.2% of the 27,291 sexual harassment charges received between FY 2018 and FY 2021 (see Figure 2). Additionally, women filed 62.2% of the 98,411 total harassment charges alleging any bases (e.g., race, national origin) received between FY 2018 and FY 2021 (see Figure 3).

Figure 4 provides the percent of total sexual harassment charges concurrently filed with a charge of race discrimination between FY 2018 and FY 2021. Of the 1,945 sexual harassment charges filed concurrently with a race charge, 71.2% designated Black/African American as the relevant race.

***Figure 4****. Percent of Sexual Harassment Charges Concurrently Filed with Race Charges, FY 2018 – FY 2021*

Image
                                              Figure 4. Percent of Sexual Harassment Charges Concurrently Filed with Race Charges, FY 2018 – FY 2021. Data table followsFigure 4. Percent of Sexual Harassment Charges Concurrently Filed with Race Charges, FY 2018 – FY 2021
	Race
			Percent of ChargesNative Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
			0.7%American Indian / Alaska Native
			1.9%Asian
			4.8%Biracial / Multiracial
			6.3%White
			16.0%Black / African American
			71.2%

SOURCE: U.S. EEOC, Integrated Mission System, Charge Data, FY 2018 – FY 2021.

Additionally, of the 797 sexual harassment charges filed concurrently with a national origin charge between FY 2018 and FY 2021, 37.6% of the charges designated Hispanic and 15.7% designated Mexican national origin.

Charges alleging sexual harassment and retaliation are often linked. Figure 5 provides the percent of total sexual harassment charges concurrently filed with a charge of retaliation between FY 2018 and FY 2021. Of the 27,291 sexual harassment charges filed, 43.5% were concurrently filed with a retaliation charge.

***Figure 5.****Sexual Harassment Charges Concurrently Filed with Retaliation Charges, FY 2018 – FY 2021*

Image
                                              Figure 5. Sexual Harassment Charges Concurrently Filed with Retaliation Charges, FY 2018 – FY 2021. Data table followsFigure 5. Sexual Harassment Charges Concurrently Filed with Retaliation Charges, FY 2018 – FY 2021
	Fiscal Year
			Number of Charges
			Percent of ChargesFY 2018
			3,352
			44.1%FY 2019
			3,418
			45.5%FY 2020
			2,831
			43.0%FY 2021
			2,279
			40.8%

SOURCE: U.S. EEOC, Integrated Mission System, Charge Data, FY 2018 – FY 2021.

Between FY 2018 and FY 2021, the most common issues alleged with sexual harassment charges received by the EEOC were those involving Discharge, Harassment (non-sexual), and Terms and Conditions (see Figure 6).

***Figure 6.****Five Most Common Issues, Sexual Harassment Charges, FY 2018 – FY 2021*

IssueDischarge
			48.3%Harassment (non-sexual)
			33.2%Terms/Conditions
			32.5%Constructive Discharge
			20.9%Discipline
			10.3%

*SOURCE: U.S. EEOC, Integrated Mission System, Charge Data, FY 2018 - FY 2021.*

As expected, the states with the most sexual harassment charges generally correspond with the states with the largest populations. Examining the number of charges per 10,000 people, ages 16 and older, provides a better comparison of the states with the most sexual harassment charges standardized by population. (See Figures 7 and 8). The top 10 states account for 24.5% of all sexual harassment charge receipts in the United States.

***Figure 7.** Top 10 States with the Most Sexual Harassment Charges per 10,000 Population Ages 16 Years and Older, FY 2018 – FY 2021*

Image
                                              Figure 7. Top 10 States with the Most Sexual Harassment Charges per 10,000 Population Ages 16 Years and Older, FY 2018 – FY 2021. Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, Tennessee, Washington D.C.*SOURCES:**U.S. EEOC, Integrated Mission System, Charge Data, FY 2018 – FY 2021.**2015-2019 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, 16 Years and Older, Civilian Labor Force.*



***Figure 8.****Top 10 States with the Most Sexual Harassment Charges per 10,000 Population Ages 16 Years and Older, FY 2018 – FY 2021*

Number of Charges per 10,000 PopulationAlabama
			1.00
			Arkansas
			0.75Mississippi
			0.93
			Missouri
			0.74Georgia
			0.83
			Nevada
			0.72Kansas
			0.80
			District of Columbia
			0.72Tennessee
			0.76
			Louisiana
			0.72

*SOURCES: U.S. EEOC, Integrated Mission System, Charge Data, FY 2018 – FY 2021. 2015-2019 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, 16 Years and Older, Civilian Labor Force.*

Combatting Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

The EEOC will continue to use all available tools, including outreach and education, enforcement, and litigation to prevent and remedy sexual harassment in the workplace.

Between FY 2018 and FY 2021, the EEOC recovered nearly $300 million for individuals with sexual harassment claims through resolved charge receipts and in litigation. In FY 2021, EEOC resolutions that included a claim for sexual harassment increased to 10%, 1.2 percentage points higher than in FY 2018 (8.8%), and, in FY 2021, 28.6% of sexual harassment resolutions were resolved favorably to the worker. Additionally, between FY 2018 and FY 2021:

18.2% of total monetary benefits recovered by the EEOC included a claim for sexual harassment compared to 12.4% between FY 2014 and FY 2017.  Figure 9 provides these percentages for each fiscal year between FY 2014 and FY 2021.
	The EEOC recovered $299.8 million for individuals with sexual harassment claims through resolved charge receipts and in litigation, benefiting 8,147 people (see Figure 10).
	The EEOC recovered nearly $104 million more for individuals with sexual harassment claims than in the period between FY 2014 and FY 2017--$83.8 million more through resolved charge receipts and an additional $20 million in litigation (see Figure 11).***Figure 9.****Percentage of Sexual Harassment Monetary Benefits, FY 2014 – FY 2021**

Image
                                              Figure 9.  Percentage of Sexual Harassment Monetary Benefits, FY 2014 – FY 2021*. Data table followsPercentage of Sexual Harassment Monetary Benefits*
	Fiscal Year
			PercentageFY 2014
			11.8%FY 2015
			12.9%FY 2016
			11.7%FY 2017
			13.0%FY 2018
			16.0%FY 2019
			19.7%FY 2020
			19.6%FY 2021
			17.6%

**Excludes additional monetary benefits recovered by the EEOC through litigation.*

SOURCE: U.S. EEOC, Integrated Mission System, Charge Data, FY 2014 – FY 2021.



***Figure 10.****Monetary Benefits from Resolved Sexual Harassment Charge Receipts and Litigation, FY 2018 – FY 2021*

Image
                                              Figure 10. Monetary Benefits from Resolved Sexual Harassment Charge Receipts and Litigation, FY 2018 – FY 2021. $299.8 million recovered. 8,147 people benefited.SOURCE: U.S. EEOC, Integrated Mission System, Charge Data, FY 2018 – FY 2021.



***Figure 11.****Monetary Benefits from Resolved Sexual Harassment Charge Receipts and Litigation, FY 2014 -FY 2017 and FY 2018 – FY 2021*

Image
                                              Figure 11. Monetary Benefits from Resolved Sexual Harassment Charge Receipts and Litigation, FY 2014 -FY 2017 and FY 2018 – FY 2021. Data table followsFigure 11. Monetary Benefits from Resolved Sexual Harassment Charge Receipts and Litigation, FY 2014 -FY 2017 and FY 2018 – FY 2021
	Years
			Monetary Benefits Recovered through Resolved Charge Receipts
			Monetary Benefits Recovered through Litigation
			Total Monetary Benefits RecoveredFY 2014 - 2017
			$167,942,621
			$28,092,134
			$196,034,755FY 2018 - 2021
			$251,758,446
			$48,077,151
			$299,835,597

SOURCE: U.S. EEOC, Integrated Mission System, Charge Data, FY 2014 – FY 2021.

The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov.

Data Notes

The charge data included in this Data Highlight include all charges filed by individuals in the private sector and state and local government workplaces. These data do not include discrimination complaints filed in the federal sector.

Suggested Citation

Sexual Harassment in Our Nation’s Workplaces. Office of Enterprise Data and Analytics (OEDA) Data Highlight No. 2. U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Washington, DC, April 2022.

[1] “A Proclamation on National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, 2022,” The White House, March 31, 2022, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2022/03/31/a-proclamation-on-national-sexual-assault-awareness-and-prevention-month-2022/.

[2] *See*Select Task Force on the Study of Harassment in the Workplace, Report of Co-Chairs Chai R. Feldblum & Victoria A. Lipnic, June 2016 at https://www.eeoc.gov/select-task-force-study-harassment-workplace#_Toc453686298.

[3] *Id*. citing Lilia M. Cortina and Jennifer L. Berdahl, *Sexual Harassment in Organizations: A Decade of Research in Review*, 1 The Sage Handbook of Organizational Behavior 469, 469-96 (J. Barling & C. L. Cooper eds., 2008).Return to top

  EEOC Logo, Image
            U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

          EEOC Headquarters
              131 M Street, NE
Washington, DC 205071-800-669-6820 (TTY)1-844-234-5122 (ASL Video Phone)

        Questions?

Call 1-800-669-4000
For Deaf/Hard of Hearing callers:1-800-669-6820 (TTY)1-844-234-5122 (ASL Video Phone)info@eeoc.govFind your nearest EEOC officeFrequently Asked Questions
          Connect With Us

  FOIA
      
    
                      Privacy Policy
      
    
                      Disclaimer
      
    
                      Accessibility
      
    
                      Office of Inspector General
      
    
                      Promoting Access to Voting
      
    
                      USA.gov