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Waiting on Paychecks

New York’s Rampant Wage Theft Goes Unpunished

Investigating the prevalence of wage theft in New York and how the state is failing to protect workers.

Impact of Our Reporting
Caret

Waiting on Paychecks

Proposed Wage Theft Legislation Would Strip Violators of Their Ability to Do Business in New York

“We did not have the data to understand the scale of the issue in New York State until the ProPublica and Documented series came out last year,” state Sen. Jessica Ramos said.

Local Reporting Network

3 stories published since 2023

In New York, Wage Theft Violators Get Millions in Government Contracts

127,000 New York Workers Have Been Victims of Wage Theft

New York Workers Are Waiting on $79 Million in Back Wages

What We’re Watching

During Donald Trump’s second presidency, ProPublica will focus on the areas most in need of scrutiny. Here are some of the issues our reporters will be watching — and how to get in touch with them securely.

Learn more about our reporting team. We will continue to share our areas of interest as the news develops.

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Sharon Lerner

I cover health and the environment and the agencies that govern them, including the Environmental Protection Agency.

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Andy Kroll

I cover justice and the rule of law, including the Justice Department, U.S. attorneys and the courts.

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Melissa Sanchez

I report on immigration and labor, and I am based in Chicago.

Photo of Jesse Coburn
Jesse Coburn

I cover housing and transportation, including the companies working in those fields and the regulators overseeing them.

If you don’t have a specific tip or story in mind, we could still use your help. Sign up to be a member of our federal worker source network to stay in touch.

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