“When you put in the work, you deserve to be paid every single penny that you’ve been promised.”

North Carolina Labor Commissioner Luke Farley announced Tuesday that his department recovered a record $3.7 million in unpaid wages for workers in the 2025-26 fiscal year.

The recovery helped workers in 89 of North Carolina’s 100 counties and represented a significant increase over the previous fiscal year, when $2.5 million was recovered.

Farley said the recovered wages are more than numbers on a page – they’re peace of mind for those workers who were owed compensation.

“It represents a worker who can now afford to pay rent or make a mortgage payment. A parent who can cover childcare costs, it’s a family that can buy groceries, pay utility bills, and handle those unexpected expenses that come up in everyday life,” said Farley.

The top industry for wage recoveries this year is retail services, followed by restaurants and bars and the medical sector.

From 2016 to 2022, the recovery rate held steady at about $1.2 million in wages recovered annually.

Kisha Scotton, bureau chief for the Wage and Hour Division, says the Department of Labor has recently been working to strengthen and streamline its operations to better respond to workers and understand employment practices.

“Our investigators examine payroll records, time records, and documentation to verify hours worked, pay rates, and whether workers received all wages due,” Scotton said.

Investigators also review employment...

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