The U.S. Department of Labor will reportedly hire 100 new wage and hour investigators as part of its "significantly more hiring activity" expected later this year, the division acting administrator said in a news release.
The addition of the new investigators to Labor's Wage and Hour division "is an important step in the right direction," Acting Administrator Jessica Looman said in the Feb. 1 news release that announced the new hiring effort.
"We anticipate significantly more hiring activity later in fiscal year 2022," Looman said. "While appropriations will determine our course of action, we are optimistic we will be able to bring new talented professionals onboard to expand our diverse team."
The new investigators will be hired to support Labor's Wage and Hour enforcement efforts, including the protection of migrant and seasonal workers, wages, family and medical leave rights and prevailing wage requirements for workers on federal contracts, according to the news release.
"The Wage and Hour Division is one of the nation's most essential labor law enforcement agencies, responsible for enforcing some of the most comprehensive labor laws affecting more than 148 million workers," the news release said. "The cornerstone of its enforcement team."
New enforcement team investigators' responsibilities are expected to include investigating whether employers pay their workers and allow them workers' rights as required by law, and ensuring that "law-abiding employers" are not undercut by employers found to have violate the law. Investigators also are expected to promote compliance through outreach and public education initiatives, in addition to supporting efforts "to combat worker retaliation and worker misclassification as independent contractors," the news release said.
Last fiscal year, Labors Wage and Hour Division collected $230 million in wages owed to about 190,000 workers and conducted 4,700 outreach events aimed at educating employers and workers about workplace rights and responsibilities.
Anyone who would like to apply for a new job at Labor may search usajobs.gov for the available Wage and Hour division positions and other jobs expected to become available later this year. Anyone who would like more information about Labor's Wage and Hour division may visit the division's website.
