Ending Hunger in America, 2014 Hunger Report Full Report | Page 91
CHAPTER 2
great hostility to government regulation. It is a precarious position. Between 1980 and 2007,
the number of inspectors enforcing federal minimum wage and overtime laws declined by a
third—while the labor force grew by half.126
In 2011, more than 7,000 collective actions were filed in federal court alleging wage and
hour violations under the Fair Labor Standards Act.127 A 2008 survey of low-wage workers
in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York—the three largest U.S. cities, with a combined labor
force of more than 11 million workers—found that 26 percent were paid less than the minimum wage, 76 percent were underpaid or not paid at all for overtime hours, and 70 percent
worked off the clock before or after their paid shift. On average, the 4,387 workers in the
survey were not paid for 15 percent of their time—an average of $2,634 was stolen from their
annual earnings.128 The vast majority of these workers were supporting at least one child.
The wage theft meant that every month, families had $219.50 less to buy food and meet other
expenses.
Wage theft takes a variety of forms. It happens in big firms and small. Workers at a NashFigure 2.11 Minimum Wage Violation Rates by Occupation: Survey of Workers in Chicago,
Los Angeles, and New York City
Child care workers
66.3%
Beauty, dry cleaning
& general repair workers
49.6 %
Sewing & garment workers
43.2%
29.5%
Maids & housekeepers
Retail salespersons & tellers
28.2%
Building services & grounds workers
26.0%
Factory & packaging workers
25.2%
Car washworkers,
parking lot attendants & drivers
23.9%
23.1%
Cooks, dishwashers & food preparers
20.9%
Cashiers
Stock/office clerks & couriers
18.1%
Home health care workers
17.5%
Security guards
16.0 %
General construction
10.5%
Waiters, cafeteria workers
& bartenders
Teacher’s assistants
8.5%
4.3%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
Violation Rate
Source: Annette Bernhardt, Ruth Milkman, et al. (2009) Broken Laws, Unprotected Workers: Violations of Employment and Labor Laws in
America’s Cities, National Employment Law Center.
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