DOL is pursuing fewer cases — but much bigger payouts Last year, the Department of Labor closed less than a third of the number of cases it did in 2014, but total recoveries were six times higher. June 1, 2021 2 MINS DOL investigations are resulting in the biggest 401(k) recoveries the agency has ever seen, even as the number of cases it closes has been declining. The agency has been pursuing bigger investigations, part of an initiative started in 2013 to go after plan violations that affect a larger number of participants. The recent numbers suggest that the effort is paying off. That is according to an analysis published late last week by the Government Accountability Office, which examined enforcement activities for employer-sponsored retirement and health plans by Department of Labor in fiscal 2020 compared with other years in its recent history.