Eliot Spitzer has announced lawsuits against four employment agencies and settlements with five other agencies that supply workers to companies that pay less that the federal minimum wage. Many of these workers are immigrants who respond to ads placed by agencies in Spanish language publications promising jobs that pay more than minimum. Labor Bureau officials have been focused on businesses that pay less than minimum wage and have recently learned through investigations that many agencies are responsible for steering job seekers to these positions. Agencies that reached settlements have agreed to pay fines, and to tell the attorney general?s office about businesses offering jobs paying below the minimum wage.
See "Agencies Sued Over Low-Paying Jobs", Steven Greenhouse, The New York Times, June 15, 2004