The US Labor Department will not end subminimum wages for disabled workers

The US Labor Department has stopped its plan to phase out special certificates that allow employers to pay disabled workers less than minimum wage. This means employers can continue to pay some disabled workers below the federal minimum wage.

The Labor Department had proposed ending a decades-old practice that allows employers to pay disabled workers less than minimum wage. This withdrawal means that practice will continue. Advocates for disabled workers have long argued that this system is exploitative, while some employers say it provides necessary employment opportunities.