Abstract
This report first analyzes trends related to minimum wage violations, then turns to policy considerations regarding the structure and enforcement of Oklahoma’s minimum wage law. Key findings include:
- Between 2010 and 2024, an average of 28,000 Oklahomans a year were illegally paid below the minimum wage of $7.25 an hour.
- Workers who were paid below the minimum wage during this period lost an average of more than $3,800 a year, or 30 percent of their earned wages. These workers made an average of $5 an hour.
- In total, we estimate that working Oklahomans lost an average of roughly $109 million a year from being paid below the minimum wage, totaling $1.6 billion over the 15-year study period.
- 3-in-10 Oklahoma workers who are paid below the minimum wage work in food services.
- Female workers, younger workers, and workers without a high school diploma are particularly likely to be paid below the minimum wage, as well as part-time and non-hourly workers.
- The Oklahoma Department of Labor currently employs just 3 wage and hour investigators, or 1 for every 32,000 Oklahoma businesses and 430,000 Oklahoma workers.