Texas – The U.S. Department of Labor has announced that $8 million in unclaimed back wages are owed to 12,000 Texans, with the funds stemming from employers found to be underpaying their employees.
These wages average about $662 per worker, according to Jesus Valdez, the Dallas District Director of the Department of Labor. When employers cannot locate the workers to whom they owe wages, the funds are deposited into an account held by the U.S. Department of Labor, which then attempts to find the rightful owners. However, if these wages are not claimed within three years, they are transferred to the U.S. Treasury Department.
North Texas alone has over $1.6 million in unclaimed wages for 2,500 workers. The Department of Labor encourages anyone who believes they might be owed wages to check their database, using their current or former employer’s name as a reference.
Notably, a Denton employer has the highest number of employees with unclaimed back wages in the state, owing 487 workers more than $260,000. The Labor Department’s investigations span various industries, with a particular focus on construction and food services, aiming to ensure workers are compensated for their labor.
