Now more than ever, workers across the United States are at risk of wage theft and other workplace abuses. A report published by Rutgers University and Northwestern University highlights that the U.S. Wage and Hour Division only employs 611 federal investigators nationwide, which is the lowest number since 1973. There is only one investigator for every 278,000 workers and 20,000 establishments. Under the Trump administration, federal agencies have been directed to reduce their workforce, and 20% of the Department of Labor workers have resigned.
The report addresses the necessary shift in priorities by the federal government. Labor enforcement agencies are under-resourced compared to immigration enforcement agencies. Daniel J. Galvin, director of the Workplace Justice Lab at Northwestern University and one of the co-authors, states, “If the goal is to help U.S. workers, we should prioritize labor standards enforcement, not mass deportations.”
Evidence also points to the fact that deportations hurt U.S.-born workers, and more attention to labor standards enforcement can help U.S. workers. The report warns that deportations and the fear of deportations can have detrimental consequences to the U.S. economy. Deportations can keep immigrant workers home, worsen labor shortages in the home health care, construction, and agriculture industries, and drive down employment and wages for U.S.–born workers and raise prices for consumers.
Jake Barnes, research program manager for the Workplace Justice Lab at Rutgers University and co-author, states, “That’s why, every year, millions of workers have their wages stolen with impunity. Weak labor law enforcement invites unscrupulous employers to drive down wages for everyone.” To put things in perspective, minimum wage workers lose more to wage theft than Americans lose to all forms of property theft, including robberies, burglaries, larceny, and motor vehicle theft.
If you believe you are a victim of wage theft or have questions about your rights as a worker, contact the attorneys of Pechman Law Group at 212-583-9500.
