According to the latest study from Jury Verdict Research, employment verdicts continue to be on the rise. 

The median award for all types of employment claims rose a whopping 60% in the past year, from $204,000 to $326,640. Discrimination verdicts rose 16%, from $208,000 to $241,119.

Some other fascinating facts . . .

What are an employer’s chances of winning at trial?

Employers won only 39% of discrimination lawsuits in the past year, tied for the worst win rate in the past decade.  The lowest win rate (33%) was in age discrimination cases and the highest (52%) was in disability discrimination cases.

What are the most common discrimination claims?

Sex was #1 (35%), followed by race (26%), disability (16%), age (13%) and “other” (includes pregnancy, religion, national origin and sexual orientation) (10%).

What forms of discrimination generate the biggest verdicts?

Age discrimination was #1, followed by disability, sex and race.

What employers took the biggest hit?

Manufacturing/industrial had the biggest verdicts, followed by government, service/retail and then transportation.

Are employers better off in federal or state court?

Employers are better off in federal court, where they won 43% of the cases, versus only 37% in state court.  In addition, the median federal award was 39% lower than the median state award ($164,925 versus $270,000).

What about settlements?

The median settlement amount was the highest in the past decade at $90,000 — a 20% jump over the previous year.

Where can I get more?

For the full report – required reading for all HR professionals, business owners and employment lawyers – click here.