The Los Angeles employment law attorney at Leichter Law Firm, APC, Aryeh Leichter, knows that when the U.S. Division of Labor (DOL) Wage and Hour Division finds labor law violations, it often collects unpaid wages on behalf of workers. Unpaid wages occur when employers fail to pay employees what they are owed. If the DOL cannot locate these employees, it holds back their wages while it continues to look for them.
In California, 17,471 workers are owed back pay, and $17.81 million in unclaimed wages exist.
How Much Unclaimed Wages are Owed to Workers by Industry?
The following is a list of the industries that paid the most in unclaimed wages and how California employees can search for their previous employers on the list of those who may have paid so they can reclaim the money they were initially owed.
Unclaimed wages owed to workers by industry nationwide include:
- Food Services: $41,769,235
- Construction: $28,082,981
- Other: $26,872,070
- Health Care: $19,170,282
- Temporary Help: $9,004,184
- Agriculture: $8,829,501
- Retail – All: $8,003,277
- Janitorial Services: $3,939,943
- Guard Services: $3,594,804
- Landscaping Services: $2,387,454
- Trucking: $2,028,657
- Hotels and Motels: $1,876,683
- Apparel Manufacturing: $1,849,710
- Auto Repair: $1,557,942
- Warehousing: $1,530,675
- Animal Processing: $737,481
- Utilities: $649,094
- Amusement: $511,128
- Childcare Services: $266,385
- Logistics: $242,107
- Hair, Nail & Skin Services: $163,923
The Labor Department set up a Workers Owed Wages website where anyone can see if their current or former employer is listed and check if their name is among those owed money.
You should check the database for unclaimed wages if you believe you may be owed back wages from a current or previous employer. According to the DOL, wages already paid to the Department by current or previous employers will only be held for three years before being turned over to the U.S. Treasury.
Contact Our Employment Law Attorney for Help Today
Employees considering legal action against their California employers for failing to pay the wages they are owed should contact Aryeh Leichter, the Leichter Law Firm, APC founder, and employment law attorney in Los Angeles County today to discuss the legal remedies that may be available for their unique workplace circumstances, starting with a free consultation by calling (818)-915-6624 or contacting the firm online.