Unpaid Wage Cases in Arkansas

Since 2005 the U.S. Department of Labor has found $79.1M in back wages owed to 163,489 Arkansas workers, in 3,133 cases, and assessed $3.5M in penalties. 202 cases involved child labor violations covering 447 minors.

$79.1MBack wages employers agreed to pay
163,489Workers owed back wages
3,133Cases with back wages

What workers weren't paid

Overtime not paid$65.4M (83%)
Below minimum wage$5.5M (7%)
Prevailing wage on government contracts$4.3M (5%)
Other laws (farmworker, visa, leave and more)$3.9M (5%)

Industries with the most back wages

Department Stores$35M (44%)
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters$4.6M (6%)
Full-Service Restaurants$3.1M (4%)
Solid Waste Combustors and Incinerators$1.6M (2%)
Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors$1.6M (2%)
Child Day Care Services$1.2M (2%)
Discount Department Stores$1M (1%)
Limited-Service Restaurants$1M (1%)
All Other Specialty Trade Contractors$955K (1%)
Temporary Help Services$946K (1%)

Cases with back wages by year

0100200300121200510320061412007159200811320091432010250201126620122182013277201417720151712016247201719720181322019692020392021602022482023372024562025182026

By city

CityBack wagesWorkersCases
Bentonville$41.5M 96,22881
Little Rock$6M 11,263417
Pine Bluff$3.6M 2,955114
Springdale$2.6M 3,117117
Jonesboro$1.4M 2,707110
Fayetteville$1.2M 2,348145
Conway$1.1M 1,62684
Maumelle$1M 53437
North Little Rock$1M 1,857145
Fort Smith$928K 2,788155
Rogers$866K 1,66484
Hot Springs National Park$777K 1,15586
Blytheville$658K 51618
Benton$635K 74041
Texarkana$519K 1,23050
Searcy$487K 1,41750
Bryant$451K 36024
Harrison$411K 2,10323
Russellville$370K 54543
Lowell$347K 73426
Wynne$336K 45318
El Dorado$290K 1,77039
Paragould$266K 38924
Sherwood$262K 63434
Mountain Home$261K 45025
Jacksonville$240K 46722
Nashville$195K 1,87414
Camden$190K 27912
Batesville$177K 37318
Cabot$175K 55332
West Memphis$164K 41930
Arkadelphia$159K 75712
Magnolia$144K 6011
Van Buren$140K 58033
Lake Village$135K 10313
Dumas$135K 15410
White Hall$132K 9814
Morrilton$128K 15214
Monticello$124K 17115
Forrest City$122K 29116
Hope$118K 17213
Alma$116K 15712
Warren$104K 29417
Lonoke$100K 31015
Marion$100K 5911
Siloam Springs$91,955 16624
Clarksville$90,840 98113
Crossett$89,374 18612
Mc Gehee$88,888 16210
Booneville$87,728 15010
Mabelvale$82,323 9013
Mena$81,965 17913
Stuttgart$81,832 40916
Paris$69,493 7111
Greenwood$61,298 9611
Hot Springs$50,425 17612
Heber Springs$48,501 14813
Osceola$41,852 13011
West Helena$37,327 7012
Newport$29,798 10811

Cities with at least 10 cases with back wages.

Labor and employment lawyers in Arkansas

Lawbamba lists 6 labor and employment lawyers with an office in Arkansas, the practice area that deals with the wage theft cases on this page. These 4 come first in that listing (how the order is set).

Barrett S. Moore
Blair & Stroud
Labor and Employment, Civil Rights, Business Litigation
Batesville · 4.7★ from 14 reviews
Richard Lane Hughes
Hughes Law Office
Labor and Employment, Criminal Defense, Criminal Law
Little Rock · 4.3★ from 12 reviews
Whitney Moore
Fuqua Campbell, P.A. Attorneys at Law
Labor and Employment, Litigation, Constitutional Law
Little Rock
Danielle M. Whitehouse
Gill Ragon Owen, P.A.
Labor and Employment, General Corporate and Commercial Law, Administrative Law
Little Rock

Matched by practice area and office location only. These lawyers are not connected to the records on this page and have not reviewed or endorsed it.

Owed wages by a Arkansas employer?

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Source: the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division enforcement data (every concluded compliance action since fiscal year 2005), from the DOL Open Data Portal, loaded November 9, 2026. “Back wages” is the amount employers agreed to pay workers after an investigation found they were underpaid; dates are the end of the period the investigation covered. Employer names and addresses are as DOL publishes them. Federal cases only: state labor departments and private lawsuits recover more that isn't counted here.

Lawbamba is not affiliated with the Department of Labor, and this page is general information, not legal advice.