Wage Garnishment in the United States: New Facts from Administrative Payroll Records

A-Tier
Journal: American Economic Review: Insights
Year: 2024
Volume: 6
Issue: 1
Pages: 38-54

Authors (3)

Anthony A. DeFusco (National Bureau of Economic Re...) Brandon Enriquez (not in RePEc) Maggie Yellen (not in RePEc)

Score contribution per author:

1.345 = (α=2.02 / 3 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

Wage garnishment allows creditors to deduct money from workers' paychecks to repay defaulted debts. We document new facts about wage garnishment between 2014 and 2019 using data from a large payroll processor that distributes paychecks to approximately 20 percent of US private-sector workers. By 2019, over 1 in every 100 workers was being garnished for delinquent debt. The average garnished worker experiences garnishment for five months, during which approximately 11 percent of gross earnings is remitted to their creditor(s). The beginning of a garnishment is associated with an increase in job turnover but no intensive margin change in hours worked.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:aea:aerins:v:6:y:2024:i:1:p:38-54
Journal Field
General
Author Count
3
Added to Database
2026-01-25