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Labor & Workplace · DOL Wage & Hour Division

Wage Theft,
By the Numbers

Every closed federal wage investigation since 2005, read as a single back-wages ledger: who got caught, how much they were found to owe their workers, and where the money piles up - by industry, state and statute. One caveat governs the whole page: owed is not collected. These are wages an employer agreed to pay at case close, not dollars a worker banked.

300K+ concluded wage cases
$4.8B back wages owed to workers
3.2M workers found underpaid
Concluded cases · FY2005-2024 Illustrative
Exhibit 01

The Geography of Owed Wages

Back wages by state

Shade is the total back wages investigators found owed to workers in each state across every concluded case. The four darkest ledgers - Texas, California, Florida and New York - together hold 34% of the national total. Read it as a raw dollar count that tracks workforce size, not a violation rate per worker.

Alabama: $63M owed, 4,541 cases Alaska: $9M owed, 576 cases Arizona: $106M owed, 6,978 cases Colorado: $89M owed, 5,649 cases Florida: $368M owed, 22,597 cases Georgia: $232M owed, 14,289 cases Indiana: $71M owed, 5,095 cases Kansas: $37M owed, 2,658 cases Maine: $18M owed, 1,218 cases Massachusetts: $110M owed, 6,535 cases Minnesota: $79M owed, 4,763 cases New Jersey: $168M owed, 10,191 cases North Carolina: $157M owed, 10,412 cases North Dakota: $10M owed, 620 cases Oklahoma: $48M owed, 3,434 cases Pennsylvania: $185M owed, 11,741 cases South Dakota: $10M owed, 687 cases Texas: $479M owed, 29,688 cases Wyoming: $7M owed, 476 cases Connecticut: $50M owed, 2,991 cases Missouri: $75M owed, 5,317 cases West Virginia: $23M owed, 1,662 cases Illinois: $207M owed, 12,406 cases New Mexico: $30M owed, 2,105 cases Arkansas: $39M owed, 2,991 cases California: $459M owed, 26,695 cases Delaware: $12M owed, 864 cases District of Columbia: $17M owed, 997 cases Hawaii: $20M owed, 1,218 cases Iowa: $35M owed, 2,437 cases Kentucky: $56M owed, 3,988 cases Maryland: $122M owed, 7,200 cases Michigan: $100M owed, 7,089 cases Mississippi: $41M owed, 3,212 cases Montana: $13M owed, 886 cases New Hampshire: $17M owed, 1,052 cases New York: $336M owed, 20,603 cases Ohio: $149M owed, 10,080 cases Oregon: $52M owed, 3,323 cases Tennessee: $116M owed, 7,865 cases Utah: $32M owed, 2,105 cases Virginia: $135M owed, 8,418 cases Washington: $97M owed, 5,760 cases Wisconsin: $60M owed, 4,098 cases Nebraska: $26M owed, 1,772 cases South Carolina: $68M owed, 4,763 cases Idaho: $21M owed, 1,440 cases Nevada: $47M owed, 2,769 cases Vermont: $9M owed, 598 cases Louisiana: $77M owed, 5,206 cases Rhode Island: $14M owed, 942 cases
Back wages owed < $20M$20 - 45M$45 - 90M$90 - 200M$200M + Amber steps run light to dark with the dollar total. Hover any state for its figure; the full ranking is filed below.
All 51 jurisdictions, ranked (data table)
StateBack wagesCasesWorkersOwed / workerShare
Texas $479M 29,688 319,109 $1,500
California $459M 26,695 305,751 $1,500
Florida $368M 22,597 245,640 $1,500
New York $336M 20,603 224,119 $1,500
Georgia $232M 14,289 154,360 $1,500
Illinois $207M 12,406 138,033 $1,500
Pennsylvania $185M 11,741 123,191 $1,500
New Jersey $168M 10,191 112,059 $1,500
North Carolina $157M 10,412 104,638 $1,500
Ohio $149M 10,080 99,443 $1,500
Virginia $135M 8,418 89,796 $1,500
Maryland $122M 7,200 81,633 $1,500
Tennessee $116M 7,865 77,180 $1,500
Massachusetts $110M 6,535 73,469 $1,500
Arizona $106M 6,978 70,501 $1,500
Michigan $100M 7,089 66,790 $1,500
Washington $97M 5,760 64,564 $1,500
Colorado $89M 5,649 59,369 $1,500
Minnesota $79M 4,763 52,690 $1,500
Louisiana $77M 5,206 51,206 $1,500
Missouri $75M 5,317 49,722 $1,500
Indiana $71M 5,095 47,495 $1,500
South Carolina $68M 4,763 45,269 $1,500
Alabama $63M 4,541 42,301 $1,500
Wisconsin $60M 4,098 40,074 $1,500
Kentucky $56M 3,988 37,106 $1,500
Oregon $52M 3,323 34,879 $1,500
Connecticut $50M 2,991 33,395 $1,500
Oklahoma $48M 3,434 31,911 $1,500
Nevada $47M 2,769 31,169 $1,500
Mississippi $41M 3,212 27,458 $1,500
Arkansas $39M 2,991 25,974 $1,500
Kansas $37M 2,658 24,490 $1,500
Iowa $35M 2,437 23,006 $1,500
Utah $32M 2,105 21,521 $1,500
New Mexico $30M 2,105 20,037 $1,500
Nebraska $26M 1,772 17,069 $1,500
West Virginia $23M 1,662 15,584 $1,500
Idaho $21M 1,440 14,100 $1,500
Hawaii $20M 1,218 13,358 $1,500
Maine $18M 1,218 11,874 $1,500
New Hampshire $17M 1,052 11,132 $1,500
District of Columbia $17M 997 11,132 $1,500
Rhode Island $14M 942 9,647 $1,500
Montana $13M 886 8,905 $1,500
Delaware $12M 864 8,163 $1,500
South Dakota $10M 687 6,679 $1,500
North Dakota $10M 620 6,679 $1,500
Alaska $9M 576 5,937 $1,500
Vermont $9M 598 5,937 $1,500
Wyoming $7M 476 4,453 $1,500
Exhibit 02

Where the Money Was Owed

Back wages by industry

Wage theft clusters where the work is low-wage, fast-turnover and hard to police. Restaurants and construction lead every other sector - together 38% of all back wages owed. The average check per worker, filed alongside, tells the second story: some sectors owe a little to a great many, others a lot to a few.

$0$250M$500M$750M$1000M 01 Food services & drinking places $1.0B Food services & drinking places: $1.0B owed across 63,775 cases 02 Construction $822M Construction: $822M owed across 52,265 cases 03 Health care & social assistance $577M Health care & social assistance: $577M owed across 36,710 cases 04 Retail trade $406M Retail trade: $406M owed across 25,821 cases 05 Agriculture & farm labor $387M Agriculture & farm labor: $387M owed across 24,577 cases 06 Administrative & staffing services $347M Administrative & staffing services: $347M owed across 22,088 cases 07 Manufacturing $323M Manufacturing: $323M owed across 20,533 cases 08 Hotels & accommodation $284M Hotels & accommodation: $284M owed across 18,044 cases 09 Professional & business services $201M Professional & business services: $201M owed across 12,755 cases 10 Transportation & warehousing $186M Transportation & warehousing: $186M owed across 11,822 cases 11 Other services (repair, laundry, personal care) $161M Other services (repair, laundry, personal care): $161M owed across 10,266 cases 12 Wholesale trade $103M Wholesale trade: $103M owed across 6,533 cases
Emphasis marks the two sectors the story turns on. Bars share one dollar scale; totals sit at each bar's tip. Per-worker averages and case counts are filed in the table.
Every sector, with the per-worker reading (data table)
SectorBack wagesCasesWorkersOwed / worker
Food services & drinking places $1.0B 63,775 937,143 $1,070
Construction $822M 52,265 384,000 $2,141
Health care & social assistance $577M 36,710 343,273 $1,682
Retail trade $406M 25,821 406,531 $999
Agriculture & farm labor $387M 24,577 303,360 $1,274
Administrative & staffing services $347M 22,088 243,429 $1,427
Manufacturing $323M 20,533 166,737 $1,937
Hotels & accommodation $284M 18,044 242,087 $1,172
Professional & business services $201M 12,755 75,692 $2,650
Transportation & warehousing $186M 11,822 82,909 $2,243
Other services (repair, laundry, personal care) $161M 10,266 176,000 $917
Wholesale trade $103M 6,533 42,000 $2,446
Exhibit 03

The Size of the Check

Workers vs owed per worker

Total dollars and per-worker harm are not the same story. Restaurants owe the most money because they underpay the most people - about $1,070 each. In white-collar and building-trade sectors the crowd is smaller but the average check runs past $2,000. Bubble size is total back wages; the two readings pull apart along the diagonal.

Fewer workers · larger checks Many workers · smaller checks 0250K500K750K1000K $1,000$1,500$2,000$2,500 Workers underpaid → ← Avg owed / worker Food services & drinking places: $1,070 owed per worker across 937,143 workers ($1.0B total) Construction: $2,141 owed per worker across 384,000 workers ($822M total) Health care & social assistance: $1,682 owed per worker across 343,273 workers ($577M total) Retail trade: $999 owed per worker across 406,531 workers ($406M total) Agriculture & farm labor: $1,274 owed per worker across 303,360 workers ($387M total) Administrative & staffing services: $1,427 owed per worker across 243,429 workers ($347M total) Manufacturing: $1,937 owed per worker across 166,737 workers ($323M total) Hotels & accommodation: $1,172 owed per worker across 242,087 workers ($284M total) Professional & business services: $2,650 owed per worker across 75,692 workers ($201M total) Transportation & warehousing: $2,243 owed per worker across 82,909 workers ($186M total) Other services (repair, laundry, personal care): $917 owed per worker across 176,000 workers ($161M total) Wholesale trade: $2,446 owed per worker across 42,000 workers ($103M total) Food service · $1,070/wkrConstruction · $2,141/wkrProfessional svcs · $2,650/wkrOther services · $917/wkr
Four labeled corners are the archetypes; the rest carry hover figures and sit in the table. The downward drift left-to-right is the pattern - the more workers a sector underpays, the smaller each one's check.
All sectors by owed-per-worker (data table)
SectorOwed / workerWorkersBack wages
Professional & business services $2,650 75,692 $201M
Wholesale trade $2,446 42,000 $103M
Transportation & warehousing $2,243 82,909 $186M
Construction $2,141 384,000 $822M
Manufacturing $1,937 166,737 $323M
Health care & social assistance $1,682 343,273 $577M
Administrative & staffing services $1,427 243,429 $347M
Agriculture & farm labor $1,274 303,360 $387M
Hotels & accommodation $1,172 242,087 $284M
Food services & drinking places $1,070 937,143 $1.0B
Retail trade $999 406,531 $406M
Other services (repair, laundry, personal care) $917 176,000 $161M
Exhibit 04

Two Decades of Recovery

Back wages by fiscal year

Each column is the back wages investigators found owed that year. Enforcement climbs through the 2010s, then falls off a cliff in FY2020 as the pandemic froze on-site investigations, before clawing back. The high-water mark is $283M in 2019 - and totals since have not matched it.

$0$100M$200M$300M FY2005: $173M owed, 10,980 cases FY2006: $192M owed, 12,200 cases FY2007: $206M owed, 13,115 cases FY2008: $221M owed, 14,030 cases FY2009: $230M owed, 14,640 cases FY2010: $264M owed, 16,775 cases FY2011: $278M owed, 17,690 cases FY2012: $269M owed, 17,080 cases FY2013: $235M owed, 14,945 cases FY2014: $250M owed, 15,860 cases FY2015: $264M owed, 16,775 cases FY2016: $274M owed, 17,385 cases FY2017: $259M owed, 16,470 cases FY2018: $269M owed, 17,080 cases FY2019: $283M owed, 17,995 cases FY2020: $197M owed, 12,505 cases FY2021: $206M owed, 13,115 cases FY2022: $250M owed, 15,860 cases FY2023: $269M owed, 17,080 cases FY2024: $211M owed, 13,420 cases $283M FY2020 - investigations stalled '05'10'15'20'24
One measure, one scale: dollars found owed. 2019 carries the emphasis shade. Across the twenty years the ledger totals $4.8B. Case and worker counts are filed in the table.
Every fiscal year (data table)
Fiscal yearBack wagesCases closedWorkers
FY2005 $173M 10,980 115,200
FY2006 $192M 12,200 128,000
FY2007 $206M 13,115 137,600
FY2008 $221M 14,030 147,200
FY2009 $230M 14,640 153,600
FY2010 $264M 16,775 176,000
FY2011 $278M 17,690 185,600
FY2012 $269M 17,080 179,200
FY2013 $235M 14,945 156,800
FY2014 $250M 15,860 166,400
FY2015 $264M 16,775 176,000
FY2016 $274M 17,385 182,400
FY2017 $259M 16,470 172,800
FY2018 $269M 17,080 179,200
FY2019 $283M 17,995 188,797
FY2020 $197M 12,505 131,200
FY2021 $206M 13,115 137,600
FY2022 $250M 15,860 166,400
FY2023 $269M 17,080 179,200
FY2024 $211M 13,420 140,800
Exhibit 05

Which Law Was Broken

Back wages by statute

Wage theft is rarely exotic. Unpaid overtime and sub-minimum wages under the Fair Labor Standards Act account for 72% of every dollar owed. Government-contract laws - the Service Contract Act and Davis-Bacon - and the H-2 guest-worker programs make up most of the rest.

FLSA overtime: $2.3B (47.2%), 134,200 cases Overtime · 47% FLSA minimum wage: $941M (19.6%), 82,350 cases Min. wage · 20% Service Contract Act: $566M (11.8%), 18,300 cases SCA · 12% Davis-Bacon & Related Acts: $379M (7.9%), 15,250 cases 8% H-2A / H-2B temporary workers: $278M (5.8%), 12,200 cases 6% FLSA other (recordkeeping, 15(a)(3)): $250M (5.2%), 33,550 cases 5% Family & Medical Leave Act: $72M (1.5%), 6,100 cases FLSA child labor: $48M (1.0%), 3,050 cases Share of $4.8B owed →
One bar, split by the statute cited. Segments run darkest (largest) to lightest; the two FLSA wage segments alone are 67% of the ledger. Smaller statutes are named in the legend and table.
StatuteBack wagesShareCases
FLSA overtime $2.3B 47.2% 134,200
FLSA minimum wage $941M 19.6% 82,350
Service Contract Act $566M 11.8% 18,300
Davis-Bacon & Related Acts $379M 7.9% 15,250
H-2A / H-2B temporary workers $278M 5.8% 12,200
FLSA other (recordkeeping, 15(a)(3)) $250M 5.2% 33,550
Family & Medical Leave Act $72M 1.5% 6,100
FLSA child labor $48M 1.0% 3,050
Exhibit 06

A Few Cases Carry the Money

Case-size distribution

Recovery is lopsided. 22% of concluded cases end with no back wages at all, and most of the rest are small. Yet the largest 4.5% of cases - the two heaviest brackets - carry 51% of every dollar owed.

Share of cases Share of dollars owed $0 (no back wages) $0 (no back wages): 22.0% of cases (67,100) 22% $0 (no back wages): 0.0% of dollars ($0M) 0% $1 - $1K $1 - $1K: 19.0% of cases (57,950) 19% $1 - $1K: 1.2% of dollars ($58M) 1% $1K - $5K $1K - $5K: 24.0% of cases (73,200) 24% $1K - $5K: 6.1% of dollars ($293M) 6% $5K - $25K $5K - $25K: 20.0% of cases (61,000) 20% $5K - $25K: 17.1% of dollars ($821M) 17% $25K - $100K $25K - $100K: 10.5% of cases (32,025) 11% $25K - $100K: 24.3% of dollars ($1.2B) 24% $100K - $1M $100K - $1M: 3.8% of cases (11,590) 4% $100K - $1M: 31.0% of dollars ($1.5B) 31% $1M+ $1M+: 0.7% of cases (2,135) 1% $1M+: 20.3% of dollars ($974M) 20%
Two bars per bracket: the quiet one is how many cases fall there, the amber one is how many dollars. Where amber overtakes ink, a handful of large cases is carrying the ledger.
Exhibit 07

How Lopsided the Ledger Is

Concentration of dollars owed

Line up every closed case from smallest to largest and track the money as it accumulates. If harm were spread evenly the line would run straight up the diagonal. Instead it sags hard: the heaviest 4.5% of cases carry roughly half of all dollars owed, a concentration index of 0.78.

perfect equality Top 4.5% of cases carry ~half the dollars 025%50%75%100% 025%50%75%100% Cumulative share of cases → ← Cumulative share of dollars
The straight line is what an even split would look like; the amber sag is the concentration. The wider the gap, the fewer cases hold the money.
The docket, state by state

Put two states head to head

Set any two jurisdictions side by side on back wages, cases, and workers underpaid, each measured against the national average.

Open the compare tool →

Methodology

Notes on the Data

The figures on this page are built to the shape of DOL Wage & Hour Division (WHISARD compliance actions) (FY2005-2024 (illustrative stand-in; portal refreshes quarterly)). The Wage and Hour Division (WHD) records every concluded compliance action in a case-management system known as WHISARD. One row is one closed investigation, carrying whether violations were found, the back wages the employer agreed to pay (bw_atp_amt), the number of workers due those wages (ee_atp_cnt), and any civil money penalties assessed (cmp_assd).

What's real, what's a stand-in

Every number on this page is illustrative: hand-authored stand-ins shaped to the real dataset's structure, magnitudes, and known patterns (restaurants and construction leading; overtime dominating the statutes; a long tail where a few large cases carry most dollars). They are badged Illustrative and are not real counts. The derived readings on this page - the average owed per worker, the case-size distribution, the concentration index and its Lorenz curve - are computed from those illustrative figures, so they inherit the same status: directionally faithful to the real dataset's known shape, not measured values. The swap-point is documented in the repo's HANDOFF.md and src/lib/source.ts: drop the real whd_whisard.csv into data/raw/, run npm run data, and the same components render the real ledger. We never present curated numbers as real.

"Owed" is not "collected"

The back-wage figure is the amount an employer agreed to pay at the close of a case, not proof the worker was ever made whole. Collection is tracked separately and is not in the public extract, so read every dollar here as wages found owed, not wages banked. Cases are grouped by the state where the findings occurred, not necessarily where a worker lives.

What you're not seeing

This is only federal enforcement, and only cases WHD actually opened and closed. The vast majority of wage theft is never investigated: most goes unreported, and state labor agencies handle a large share of what is. Ownership structure (franchise vs corporate) and whether a case began as a worker complaint or an agency-initiated sweep are held back from the public file. So this ledger is a floor on wage theft that was caught, not a measure of how much occurs.

Source: DOL Wage & Hour Division (WHISARD compliance actions). Bulk file: https://enforcedata.dol.gov/views/data_summary.php. Generated 2026-07-06 00:00 UTC.