Economic Report: Wage Theft Victimizes U.S. Low-Wage Workers

http://www.laborradio.org/node/11912

Economic Report:

A report released last week studied low wage workers in New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago and discovered an epidemic of wage theft amongst low wage workers. According to the findings, 26 percent of workers were paid less than minimum wage and 60 percent of those workers were paid less than $1 per hour. Two-thirds of the workers were not provided the appropriate meal break. Seventy-five percent of those workers were not paid required overtime.

Low-Wage Workers Are Often Cheated, Study Says

By STEVEN GREENHOUSE
Published: September 1, 2009

Low-wage workers are routinely denied proper overtime pay and are often paid less than the minimum wage, according to a new study based on a survey of workers in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.

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In surveying 4,387 workers in various low-wage industries, including apparel manufacturing, child care and discount retailing, the researchers found that the typical worker had lost $51 the previous week through wage violations, out of average weekly earnings of $339. That translates into a 15 percent loss in pay.

The researchers said one of the most surprising findings was how successful low-wage employers were in pressuring workers not to file for workers’ compensation. Only 8 percent of those who suffered serious injuries on the job filed for compensation to pay for medical care and missed days at work stemming from those injuries.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/02/us/02wage.html