When the Labor Department finds that an employer underpaid workers, it collects back wages. If it cannot find the workers, the money waits. The department's free Workers Owed Wages (WOW) search lets you look yourself by employer or name.
Open the official searchU.S. Department of Labor — Workers Owed Wages. Free. We take no cut and ask for nothing.
Back wages usually come from overtime or minimum-wage violations that investigators found. The employer pays the department, and the department tries to reach each worker. People who left the job or moved are the ones still waiting.
WOW lists money the department has already collected. It is not a way to file a new wage complaint, which goes through the Wage and Hour Division.
Checked against the official page on 2 October 2026. Rules and screens change, so follow the agency's own instructions.
Back wages are generally taxable income, so expect tax paperwork.
You can look, but only the worker or an heir can claim.
Search anyway. The department may hold funds from the closed company.
Open refunds and settlements, with the official link next to each. Free, no finder fee, one click to leave.
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