News Release

Printer-Friendly Version

ESA News Release: [12/28/2007]
Contact Name: Loren Smith or Richard Manning
Phone Number: 202-693-4676
Release Number: 07-1952-NAT

U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division announces record wage recovery for FY 2007

Agency collects more than $1.25 billion for workers since 2000

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD) today announced its enforcement data for Fiscal Year 2007, highlighting increases over previous years. Since FY 2000, WHD has recouped more than $1.25 billion for nearly two million workers. For FY 2007, the 341,624 workers receiving recovered back wages is the second largest number since 1993, and the amount of those wages, $220,613,703, is the highest ever. That amount also constitutes a 67 percent increase over the 2001 figure.

"We're proud to be ensuring that workers are paid the wages they're due," said Paul DeCamp, administrator for the Wage and Hour Division. "This record-breaking performance demonstrates the department's commitment to protecting workers."

Recently, WHD has placed a major focus on bringing very large employers into compliance. Numerous employers have made multi-million dollar payments, in two instances to more than 20,000 workers. Earlier this year, WHD obtained the largest private-sector settlement in the agency's history.

WHD is responsible for administering and enforcing some of our nation's most comprehensive labor laws, including: the minimum wage, overtime, and child labor provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act; the Family and Medical Leave Act; the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act; worker protections provided in several temporary visa programs; and the prevailing wage requirements of the Davis-Bacon Act and the Service Contract Act.

More information on agency results is available on the Wage and Hour Division Web site, www.dol.gov/esa/whd.