Enforcement of the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (MSPA): Back wages and civil money penalties assessed by the Wage and Hour Division resulting from violations of MSPA, fiscal years 2000–2019
| Fiscal year | Cases with violations | Total violations under MSPA | Ave violations per case | Employees receiving back wages | Back wages ($2019) | Average back wages owed per employee ($2019) | Civil monetary penalties assessed ($2019) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total or average | 14,094 | 119,045 | 8 | 52,760 | $10,012,400 | $190 | $24,718,400 |
| 2000 | 853 | 4,422 | 5 | 1,114 | $156,200 | $140 | $1,295,900 |
| 2001 | 941 | 10,745 | 11 | 6,356 | $532,900 | $84 | $1,061,900 |
| 2002 | 948 | 5,994 | 6 | 1,835 | $552,500 | $301 | $1,116,400 |
| 2003 | 740 | 6,008 | 8 | 1,994 | $371,100 | $186 | $836,200 |
| 2004 | 794 | 4,295 | 5 | 1,129 | $369,800 | $328 | $1,283,700 |
| 2005 | 616 | 3,430 | 6 | 1,330 | $129,200 | $97 | $772,500 |
| 2006 | 615 | 3,105 | 5 | 1,007 | $193,600 | $192 | $776,500 |
| 2007 | 812 | 5,350 | 7 | 1,497 | $222,000 | $148 | $1,460,500 |
| 2008 | 747 | 5,275 | 7 | 2,557 | $367,700 | $144 | $909,800 |
| 2009 | 636 | 4,979 | 8 | 2,061 | $390,100 | $189 | $960,700 |
| 2010 | 626 | 4,876 | 8 | 1,883 | $379,700 | $202 | $761,900 |
| 2011 | 654 | 5,578 | 9 | 2,558 | $461,300 | $180 | $1,008,700 |
| 2012 | 767 | 7,129 | 9 | 3,688 | $841,800 | $228 | $1,156,500 |
| 2013 | 822 | 8,255 | 10 | 4,336 | $699,700 | $161 | $992,300 |
| 2014 | 756 | 10,745 | 14 | 6,213 | $802,700 | $129 | $1,028,800 |
| 2015 | 707 | 7,802 | 11 | 3,569 | $695,200 | $195 | $905,100 |
| 2016 | 608 | 7,696 | 13 | 3,792 | $724,700 | $191 | $1,031,800 |
| 2017 | 548 | 3,876 | 7 | 1,274 | $260,400 | $204 | $1,682,400 |
| 2018 | 492 | 4,905 | 10 | 2,314 | $573,000 | $248 | $2,801,500 |
| 2019 | 412 | 4,580 | 11 | 2,253 | $1,288,800 | $572 | $2,875,400 |
Note: Dollar amounts reported in this table have been adjusted for inflation to constant 2019 dollars using the CPI-U-RS. As a result, the dollar amounts presented here may differ from the amounts reported in the source data. Totals may not sum due to rounding.
Source: Authors’ analysis of U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, Agriculture data table (U.S. DOL-WHD 2020a).