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OpenAI to pay $3.2 million in DOJ hiring discrimination settlement

OpenAI to pay $3.2 million in DOJ hiring discrimination settlement

The Justice Department said OpenAI and subsidiary Statsig favored workers on temporary visas over U.S. applicants in PERM-linked hiring and must change recruitment practices.

Fact Check
The official DOJ Civil Rights Division press release (justice.gov) dated August 4, 2026 directly confirms the $3.2 million settlement with OpenAI and its subsidiary Statsig Inc. for favoring temporary visa holders over U.S. workers during PERM (immigration sponsorship) recruitment. This matches the claim's stated amount, parties, and nature of the discrimination. Independent corroboration from KRON4 and the WSJ report cited in the claim aligns fully.
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Summary

OpenAI OpCo LLC and its subsidiary Statsig Inc. have agreed to pay $3.2 million to settle U.S. Justice Department allegations that they discriminated against American workers in hiring tied to the permanent labor certification, or PERM, process. The Civil Rights Division said the companies gave preferential treatment to temporary visa holders when recruiting for positions that were supposed to be open to qualified U.S. workers first. The settlement includes $1.2 million in civil penalties and a $2 million back-pay fund for affected U.S. workers. It also requires changes to OpenAI’s recruitment practices so that PERM-related openings provide fair opportunities to domestic applicants. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said the resolution is intended to both remedy harm and force structural changes. The case falls under the anti-discrimination provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which bars hiring discrimination based on citizenship status or national origin. OpenAI is the latest major technology company to face such enforcement, following Apple’s $25 million settlement in a similar case.

Terms & Concepts
  • PERM: The permanent labor certification process used by employers to sponsor foreign workers for green cards after testing the U.S. labor market.
  • Immigration and Nationality Act: The federal law that includes hiring rules prohibiting certain forms of discrimination based on citizenship status or national origin.