Wyoming leads the nation with the highest rate of sex discrimination charges
Montana and Kansas follow closely, with more than a third of discrimination charges related to sex
A new analysis of employment discrimination charges has revealed the states where employees are most likely to file sex discrimination charges, with Wyoming coming out on top.
The study, conducted by employment law experts Duddy, Goodwin & Pollard analyzed data on the number of employment discrimination charges filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in each state between April 2009 and March 2023, and the percentage of those that were related to sex discrimination.
In response to the findings, Jamie Goodwin, Attorney at Duddy, Goodwin & Pollard commented, "These numbers are more than just statistics; they represent the real experiences of individuals in the workplace. While the study focuses on the states with the highest rates, the issue of sex discrimination in the workplace is a nationwide concern. Over the period that the study measured, there were more than 1.18 million employment discrimination charges filed, and 355,181 were related to sex discrimination. This data serves as a reminder of the importance of enforcing anti-discrimination laws and promoting a culture of equality and respect in all workplaces."
Wyoming emerged as the state with the highest rate of sex discrimination charges, accounting for approximately 39.52% of all employment discrimination charges in the state over the 14 year period. This figure is based on 266 sex discrimination charges out of a total of 673 employment discrimination charges. The rate of sex discrimination charges in Wyoming is a third higher than the national average, which stands at around 29.9%.
Montana ranks second with a rate of 37.10% of employment discrimination charges being sex-related, which is due to 164 out of 442 total charges.
In third place is Kansas where 34.87% of discrimination charges were due to someone’s sex. Over the 14 year period that was measured, there were 3,481 sex discrimination charges out of 9,983 total charges.
Following Kansas, Colorado is ranked fourth, with sex discrimination charges comprising 34.02% of all employment discrimination charges within the state. In Colorado, there were 8,170 sex discrimination charges out of a total of 24,016.
Alaska emerges as the fifth-ranked state in the context of sex discrimination charges, as sex discrimination charges constitute 33.85% of all employment discrimination allegations, with 393 cases of sex discrimination out of a total of 1,161 charges filed.
Utah, ranked sixth, demonstrates a significant rate with 33.82% of its employment discrimination charges related to sex discrimination, translating to 1,146 cases out of 3,389. Close behind, New Mexico, at seventh, shows a rate of 33.35%, with 3,869 sex discrimination charges out of 11,602 total charges. Vermont, in the eighth position, matches New Mexico's rate closely at 33.33%, with 163 cases out of 489.
Oklahoma and Arkansas, ranking ninth and tenth respectively, continue this trend with Oklahoma reporting 32.90% (5,352 out of 16,269) and Arkansas at 32.70% (6,581 out of 20,128) of their employment discrimination charges being for sex discrimination.
At the other end of the scale, in Minnesota there was a total of 13,269 employment discrimination charges filed, and only 25.20% were related to sex discrimination, totaling 3,344 cases – the third lowest rate in the nation.
Maine, has the second lowest rate since out of 505 total employment discrimination charges, only 24.36% were for sex discrimination, amounting to 123 cases.
The state with the lowest rate of sex discrimination claims is Rhode Island, where only 23.30% of employment discrimination charges related to sex discrimination, which translates to 219 cases out of a total of 940.
Methodology: The study analyzed data from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, focusing on the rate of sex discrimination charges as a percentage of total employment discrimination charges in each state from FY 2009 to FY 2022