Many workers across the U.S. who were fired last year are claiming that they were discriminated against in losing their job.  According to a report from the Virginian-Pilot, nearly 100,000 discrimination complaints were made to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) last year. 

This was a record high number according to the EEOC.  The local Norfolk office of the EEOC reported 1,041 complaints which they say is a 10.7 percent increase from 2009. 

In Hampton Roads, “national origin” was the discrimination category that saw the greatest increase in complaints from previous years, but “race” remained the discrimination category with the most complaints in 2010. 

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Across the U.S., “retaliation” discrimination complaints outnumbered “race” as the discrimination category with the most complaints. 

Some lawyers who represent both employers and workers blame the downturn in the economy for the increase in the complaints.