California Struggles to Distribute Unclaimed Wage Theft Settlements

Despite securing settlements, California faces challenges in locating workers owed money from wage theft cases.

California has settled a $1 million wage theft case with The Cheesecake Factory, but $700,000 remains unclaimed.
Only 42 out of more than 500 eligible janitors have received their settlement payments, highlighting difficulties in reaching workers.
The state uses social media, TV interviews, and hotlines to contact workers, but many remain elusive due to outdated contact information.
Low-wage workers, often immigrants, pose challenges in locating them, as they may have moved or left the country.
Similar issues are seen in other settlements, with large sums still unclaimed despite efforts to return money to affected workers.