The number of employment-related lawsuits filed in federal courts increased for the second consecutive year, according to statistics from the Administrative Office of the United States Courts (AO). They show that 27,499 employment-related federal lawsuits were filed in FY 2024, an increase of more 5% from FY 2023.
Employment-related lawsuits filed under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) increased by almost 18% in FY 2024 to 3,018 — the highest number in the past 20 years.
Employment-related lawsuits filed under Title VII, ADEA, Section 1981, and GINA increased by more than 11% from 12,152 in FY 2023 to 13,526 in FY 2024 — the highest number filed since 2012.
Federal lawsuits filed under the FLSA decreased by 9.4% in FY 2024, a second year of decline. However, this remains the second-highest category of employment-related lawsuits.
Federal lawsuits filed under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) increased by 11% in FY 2024 to 945, following two years of decline.
The number of lawsuits filed under ERISA showed almost no change from FY 2023 to FY 2024.
The Center for Workplace Compliance (CWC), our affiliated nonprofit membership association, prepared a series of graphs to highlight these statistics. CWC members can read more here.