Table 1

In the most populous Southern states, over 800,000 workers lose $2.9B to minimum wage violations: Statistics on minimum wage violations in the four most populous Southern states

Total number of minimum-wage-eligible workers Eligible workers experiencing minimum wage violations
State Number Share of eligible workers Share of eligible low-wage workers Average weekly under- payment Average weekly wages received Average annual under- payment if full-year Average annual wages received if full-year Share of earned wages not paid Total earned annual wages not paid to workers
Florida 5,515,000 404,000 7.30% 24.90% $54  $213  $2,800  $11,100  20.10% $1,124,000,000 
Georgia* 3,769,000 82,000 2.20% 9.40% $71  $203  $3,700  $10,600  25.90% $301,000,000 
North Carolina 3,111,000 84,000 2.70% 12.30% $72  $179  $3,800  $9,300  28.80% $316,000,000 
Texas 9,743,000 265,000 2.70% 10.80% $85  $182  $4,400  $9,500  31.70% $1,165,000,000 
Average 22,138,000 835,000 3.77% 14.35% $71  $194  $3,675  $10,125  26.63% $2,906,000,000 
Economic Policy Institute

*Workers in Georgia covered by the FLSA are subject to the federal minimum wage of $7.25. Workers exempt from the FLSA but covered under Georgia's state minimum wage law have a minimum wage of $5.15.

Note: Full-year annual wages are calculated by multiplying weekly wages by 52 weeks per year. Numbers may not add due to rounding. Shares are computed based on unrounded numbers. “Eligible low-wage workers” includes all minimum-wage-eligible workers in the bottom quintile of wage earners in each state. Sample includes workers ages 16 to 85.

Source: EPI analysis of Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group data, 2013–2015. Table adapted from Table 1 (including only Southern states) in David Cooper and Teresa Kroeger, Employers Steal Billions from Workers’ Paychecks Each Year, Economic Policy Institute, May 2017.

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