[JURIST] The number of discrimination charges against private employers filed with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission [official website] declined by five percent in 2005 [press release], the third straight year the number of complaints fell. EEOC officials point to several factors as potential causes of the decrease, including the EEOC's outreach and prevention efforts as well as a general economic slowdown. Of the 75,428 complaints filed with the EEOC in 2005 [charge statistics], 35.5 percent covered allegations of racial discrimination and 30.6 percent were based on alleged sex discrimination. The agency resolved 77,352 complaints in 2005; 21.5 percent of those outcomes were in favor of the complainant, a higher percentage than in years past.

The EEOC is charged with enforcing federal anti-discrimination laws [EEOC materials] among private employers. The US Department of Justice enforces the federal anti-discrimination statutes for government workers. AP has more.