From child support to consumer debt, there are a variety of reasons why an employee’s wages may be garnished in Pennsylvania. Regardless of the cause, however, garnishment can have deep repercussions in a person’s life as well as on the company that employs them.
The ADP Research Institute recently studied wage garnishment in the U.S. and how factors such as location, company size and industry affect a company’s compliance with garnishment laws. The study focused on four garnishment areas: child support, bankruptcy, tax levies and other debt such as student loans or consumer debt. Throughout the U.S., 7 percent of workers have wage garnishment, but 71 percent of those individuals are men. Furthermore, 12 percent of workers with wage garnishments have multiple types of garnishments.
Child support, which many parents have to pay after a divorce, was the biggest reason for wage garnishment for men. This was followed by consumer loans and student debt, tax levies and bankruptcy. For women, the main cause of garnishment was due to student loans and other consumer loans.
The study found that 26 percent of Midwest men aged 35 to 55 who were working in large manufacturing jobs and making about $44,000 a year had their wages garnished. This figure is much higher than in other parts of the country. In general, 62 percent of employees with wage garnishment were in the 35-to-54 age bracket. The study was based on anonymous pay data information from 12 million workers from 2016.
For residents going through divorce, receiving or paying child support might be in their foreseeable future. They might seek the guidance of a lawyer who can explain the state legislation regarding divorce and advise and represent them during the negotiations for a settlement.