OpenAI Agrees to $3.2M Settlement Over PERM Hiring Discrimination Against U.S. Workers

NewsData.io · United States · Aug 6, 2026

OpenAI has reached a $3.2 million settlement with the DOJ after investigators found the company discriminated against U.S. workers during PERM-based recruitment, including failing to post positions publicly, requiring paper-only applications, and advertising roles via late-night radio. The settlement includes a $1.2 million civil penalty and a $2 million backpay fund, with OpenAI also required to overhaul its PERM recruitment practices and submit to three years of federal monitoring. The case is among the Trump administration's highest-profile enforcement actions targeting tech companies' use of foreign-worker sponsorship programs and follows similar DOJ settlements with Facebook and Apple. Staffing firms and employers using PERM processes should review their own recruitment advertising and application procedures in light of heightened federal scrutiny.