According to statistics from various sources, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, employment related claims and lawsuits, especially those related to unpaid wages are on the rise, and have been for several years, even as the economy remains slow and unemployment high.

In fact, one article notes that wage and hour claims by US workers rose to a 20 year high in the period ending March 31, 2012.

Wage and hour complaints arise from several practices, all of which lead employees, or former employees, to claim that they were not paid what they were owed under the law. The most common types of wage hour suits include: