U.S. looks to end subminimum wage for workers with disabilities

The Department of Labor is proposing to phase out a controversial Depression-era program that lets some employers pay disabled workers less than the federal minimum wage.

Federal law currently allows the agency to issue certificates that let employers pay certain workers less than the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour based on the notion that their disabilities hinder productivity. Intended to help those with disabilities gain employment, the law currently has about 40,000 American workers laboring for half the minimum wage or less, according to the Labor Department. 

"Many earn less than half, some earn just pennies on the dollar," Taryn Williams, assistant secretary of labor for disability employment, said at a Tuesday news briefing.