Federal employees filed slightly more discrimination complaints last year than the prior year — the second consecutive year of increases after a decade of steady declines.

Federal employees filed 16,947 discrimination complaints in 2009, 195 more than in 2008, according to a report released by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The increase is considerably smaller in comparison to the previous year's increase: in 2008, there were 584 more discrimination complaints than in 2007.

Discrimination cases took longer to investigate and close last year than in 2008. The average investigation time increased from 180 days in 2008 to 186 days in 2009, and the average closing time increased from 336 days to 344 days.

Fiscal 2008 marked the first increase in average investigation times in four years.

Nearly 3 percent of the 6,905 cases closed on their merits resulted in findings of unlawful discrimination. In fiscal 2008, about 2.5 percent of those cases resulted in discrimination findings.

Another 3,394 cases resulted in a settlement, which represented an increase of 145 over fiscal 2008.