Sexual harassment claims increased for the first time in years after the October 2017 revelations about Harvey Weinstein, according to new federal data.
The Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC) reported 12% increase in sexual harassment claims compared with the 2017 fiscal year. In a press release, the agency also reported that it had filed 66 harassment lawsuits in the last year, a 50% increase from the year prior.
Harassment claims reported to the EEOC represent a fraction of the total number of claims, but the trend lines are telling. Over the previous seven years, harassment claims had declined from 7,944 in 2010 to 6,696 in 2017. The EEOC’s preliminary data shows an increase to about 7,500 claims in 2018, the highest level since 2012.
The trend was more pronounced in state data released by California and New York earlier this year.
The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing received 939 complaints in the first three months of 2018, an 80% jump from the same period last year.
The New York Division of Human Rights received 353 complaints for the seven-month period following Oct. 1, 2017, a 60% increase from the same period a year earlier.
