The number of federal employees who filed age-bias complaints in 2003 exceeded the number of who said they were discriminated against because they were black, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s annual report. The report, released May 20, shows the number of instances employees alleged discrimination based on age rose from 6,584 in 2002 to 7,047 in 2003, while the number of times black employees alleged discrimination based on race dropped from 7,095 in 2002 to 6,600 in 2003. As in previous years, the most common basis for a complaint, representing 40 percent of the total, was alleged retribution against workers who filed an initial discrimination claim. The EEOC also concluded that, although the total number of filings decreased, the number of individuals who filed complaints increased by 4 percent from last year. [05/31/04]