As Los Angeles prepares to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, city leaders face a basic question with significant consequences: Can the city credibly present itself as a world-class city while its wage enforcement system remains underpowered and slow to respond to abuse in the many industries that will carry these events?
The answer will shape not only how Los Angeles is seen globally, but how effectively it protects the workers who make the city function. Wage theft is already a persistent problem in Los Angeles, particularly in hospitality, food service, construction, logistics and tourism, among many others. These are the same sectors expected to grow rapidly as the World Cup approaches. Wage theft refers to the illegal denial of wages that workers have legally earned, including unpaid overtime, minimum wage violations, off the clock work, withheld tips and failure to issue final pay. Without strong enforcement to prevent these violations, there will be an increase in the risk of exploitation, retaliation and unpaid labor. With effective enforcement, it creates an opportunity for the city to demonstrate that economic expansion and worker dignity are not mutually exclusive.
City Hall has acknowledged this risk. This past December, City Council committees advanced reforms to the Office of Wage Standards that strengthen investigations, prioritize low-wage worker claims, expand enforcement authority and formalize partnerships with community organizations. Those actions represent a clear policy judgment that the current system is not working as intended. What has not yet happened is full implementation…