LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved two motions co-authored by Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell and Board Chair Hilda L. Solis focused on a dual approach for protecting workers and businesses by proactively going after wage theft and leveraging the County’s purchasing power to support local manufacturers with the launch of the Made in Los Angeles pilot program.

“Together, these initiatives represent a coordinated effort to protect vulnerable workers and support local businesses. By combining stronger labor enforcement with intentional procurement strategies, Los Angeles County is advancing a comprehensive model for economic justice—one that protects workers while investing in businesses that create quality jobs” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell.

“Small businesses and workers in Los Angeles County are facing real economic strain due to harmful policies from the Trump administration, from tariffs to inhumane immigration enforcement actions, alongside an uneven recovery,” said Los Angeles County Board Chair and First District Supervisor Hilda L. Solis. “These motions take a balanced approach by strengthening worker protections while also giving businesses the tools and support they need to comply and grow. If we invest in both, we can build a more resilient and inclusive local economy.”

Addressing Wage Theft Through Worker-Centered Enforcement

Los Angeles County is the wage theft capital of the United States. According to research from UCLA’s Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, approximately 30 percent of low-wage workers in the County have experienced serious minimum wage violations, with wage theft totaling roughly $1.4 billion annually.

The Board has taken meaningful steps to address this. Since 2021, the Office of Labor Equity within the County Department of Business and Consumer affairs has reclaimed $4.6 million for over 3,000 workers. Today’s motion, Reclaiming Wages for Workers Through Worker-Centric Approaches builds on the County’s proven strategies by moving beyond a complaint-based system—which often fails workers afraid of retaliation—and instead emphasizes proactive enforcement with stronger partnerships with worker organizations and the creation of a public dashboard.

“Wage theft has taken an enormous toll on workers of Los Angeles County,” said Rafael Carbajal, Director of the LA County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs. “This harms individual workers but also destabilizes families and communities. We thank the Board of Supervisors for taking action and equipping DCBA with the tools needed to make a difference.”

Harnessing County Purchasing Power to Support Local Manufacturing

As the County works to stop bad actors in our workforce that don’t pay their employees what they earned, it is also focused on expanding its investment in local businesses that are good for both workers and our economy with its Made in Los Angeles pilot program, an initiative that applies a more targeted approach for the County’s $6-8 billion annual purchasing power toward local manufacturers that meet strong labor and safety standards—helping responsible businesses compete and grow.

Key components of the pilot will include establishing a pool of qualified local manufacturers that adhere to fair labor practices and convening industry, labor, and community stakeholders to guide program design, including metrics to measure economic impact and inform future expansion

Daisy Gonzalez, Campaigns Director for the Garment Worker Center shared “We strongly support both the Reclaiming Wages Motion and the Made in Los Angeles Program Pilot because they put workers at the center of enforcement and economic development—leveraging trusted partnerships with worker centers to recover stolen wages, investing in strategic co-enforcement, and using the County’s purchasing power to uplift ethical local businesses. Together, these efforts return money to the hardworking individuals that sustain our local workforce and show that fair labor standards are good for businesses and our regional economy.”

Both initiatives include report backs within the next 90 to 120 days and opportunities for stakeholder engagement, with the goal of scaling successful strategies countywide.