Wage theft is the heavyweight champion of American larceny

A new analysis from the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute, highlighted in The Hill’s opinion section, argues that wage theft—employers illegally withholding pay from workers—costs American workers billions of dollars each year, far exceeding the losses from street-level property crime. The piece contends that while politicians campaign on law-and-order rhetoric, corporate wage theft remains comparatively under-prosecuted and under-punished. It calls for stronger enforcement, bigger penalties, and a broader cultural recognition that stealing a paycheck is just as serious as stealing merchandise. This is one of those rare policy arguments that cuts across familiar tribal lines, because it asks a genuinely uncomfortable question: What does our society actually treat as “real” theft? The article’s core data point—that wage theft dwarfs other forms of larceny in dollar terms—is worth pausing on. If true, it suggests a justice system that recognizes some victims while ignoring others, often based on the collar worn by the perpetrator. Conservatives may bristle at the framing, noting that many wage and hour disputes are civil matters, not criminal ones, and that aggressive regulation can burden small businesses already struggling with compliance. They have a point: not every accounting error is a crime, and the term “wage theft” can sometimes blur the line between deliberate fraud and honest administrative mistakes. Yet the piece’s broader point remains challenging: when employers systematically misclassify workers, shave overtime hours, or simply refuse to pay for completed work, the harm is real, widespread, and often invisible. What makes this story notable is its political awkwardness. Tough-on-crime rhetoric rarely extends to corporate suites, and the public is more likely to see footage of a shoplifter arrested than a CEO sanctioned for wage violations. If the numbers hold up, that gap is not merely an oversight—it is a reflection of priorities. The author is clearly pushing an agenda, but the underlying question is fair game: Should we measure crime by the dollar amount, the individual harm, or the familiar imagery of the perpetrator? The source article, available at https://thehill.com/opinion/criminal-justice/6079440-corporations-stolen-wages-economic-impact/, does not settle that debate, but it does elevate it.