December 15, 2025
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Hennepin County to pay $370K in back wages

Hennepin County is paying $370,000 in back wages to security guards employed by a subcontractor on county contracts after determining they were underpaid under county labor standards. The county said the payout will make affected workers whole for work performed at county sites; details on the vendor and the number of workers were not immediately disclosed.

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📌 Key Facts

  • $370,000 in back wages will be distributed by Hennepin County.
  • Recipients are subcontracted security guards who worked on county contracts.
  • The payment follows a county review/enforcement of wage requirements tied to public contracts.

📊 Relevant Data

In protective service occupations, Black workers constitute 29.6% of security guards and gaming surveillance officers, compared to only 12.6% of police and sheriff's patrol officers and 7.6% of first-line supervisors of police and detectives.

Examining employment and diversity in the protective service occupations — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

The median annual wage for security guards and gaming surveillance officers is $29,710, which is lower than the $41,580 average for all protective service occupations and significantly lower than higher-wage roles like first-line supervisors of police and detectives at $91,090.

Examining employment and diversity in the protective service occupations — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

In the Twin Cities area, Black and Latino workers, immigrants, young workers, female workers, and part-time workers are more likely to experience minimum wage violations, as they disproportionately fill service sector jobs.

Wage theft in Twin Cities costs low-wage workers $86M a year, study finds — Star Tribune

Hennepin County's population is 15.1% Black, 8.0% Hispanic or Latino, and 7.9% Asian, with a percent change of -0.6% from April 1, 2020, to July 1, 2024, following growth from 2010 to 2020.

U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Hennepin County, Minnesota — U.S. Census Bureau

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December 15, 2025