The Labor Department is signing agreements with states that will share information about wage and hour violations. The Labor Department is targeting businesses that label workers as independent contractors or non-employees to get out of paying wages, overtime or federal taxes. The Labor Department has also focused on industries where this is considered a large problem, like hotels, restaurants, and the health care industry. The Labor Department collected about $4 million in back wages in 2010, 400% more than they did in 2008.
See "Labor Dept. expands enforcement of wage violations", The Wall Street Journal, September 18, 2011