Los Angeles Leads US in Wage Theft—New York City a Close Second

The two largest financial markets in the U.S. are Los Angeles and New York City. The pressure to compete in those markets is more cutthroat than virtually anywhere else in the world. This pressure can lead companies to adopt illegal business practices to cheat the employees from earned pay. New York City and LA are now facing a wage theft epidemic. These two markets have more rampant wage theft rates than anywhere else in the country.

Wage theft is primarily a problem that impacts hourly employees. It happens much more often than most people think. Countless millions of dollars are stolen from hourly employees every year by shorting hours, not paying overtime, making employees work off the clock, etc. The most preeminent New York City wage theft attorneys say that this is not just an issue for small businesses. Walmart is the largest hourly employer in the country and has been sued several times for every sort of wage theft possible. Employees from companies of any size are vulnerable to wage theft.

When it comes to tackling the wage theft problem, New York has been more proactive than California over the last several years. New York has enacted several initiatives over the last decade to make it easier for wage theft victims to recover the compensation they deserve. This push was led by New York City wage theft attorneys that were frustrated at the delays and difficulties that arose when trying to hold employers accountable. The new processes are easier and maximize the compensation that you can recover for filing a claim.

Sadly, there is no end in sight to the systematic abuses of hourly employees. Wage theft in New York City and Los Angeles is only going to continue until enough employees take a stand and assert their legal rights. Hardworking hourly employees are foregoing millions of dollars in unpaid wages each year instead of taking legal action.

Schedule a free initial consultation with an experienced New York City wage theft attorney at Hepworth, Gershbaum & Roth, PLLC today if you have concerns about being the victim of wage theft. We are here for you 24 hours a day. Call us at 212-545-1199 or contact us online to schedule an appointment so we can answer your questions about your legal rights.