The US Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division announced it has recovered more than $259 million in back wages for nearly 177,000 employees nationwide — an average of $1,465 per worker — in fiscal year 2025, reaffirming its commitment to strengthening the American workforce. In addition to recovering more back wages than in any year since 2019, the division also enhanced its compliance assistance efforts by providing new guidance and tools aimed at helping employers stay informed of their obligations. The agency created an improved compliance assistance hub, updated compliance videos on the Fair Labor Standards Act, and created a YouTube series on the Family and Medical Leave Act. The division also relaunched its opinion letter program and the Payroll Audit Independent Determination program, which offers employers an opportunity to self-report and resolve potential minimum wage and overtime violations under the FLSA, as well as certain potential violations under the FMLA.