Wage Theft Exceeds Property Crime in the U.S.
Mar 5th 2026
A comparison of annual losses shows minimum wage violations cost the U.S. $23.2 billion a year, far larger than common property crimes, and remote work is changing how wage violations occur.
- Minimum wage violations total $23.2 billion per year, exceeding robbery, auto theft, burglary, and larceny.
- Overtime violations account for $8.8 billion annually.
- Rest break violations cost $4.0 billion and off the clock violations cost $3.2 billion each year.
- Remote work blurs boundaries between work and personal time, raising the risk of unpaid overtime and off the clock work.
- Multistate and remote teams create compliance challenges that make clear time tracking and transparent payroll systems more important.