Child labor violations in the United States are increasing and could get even worse if current regulations remain unchanged.
The report by Governing for Impact, the Economic Policy Institute, and the Child Labor Coalition recently warned that many companies are still exploiting rules included in the Fair Labor Standard Act (FLSA), which authorized some restrictions on child labor.
Specifically, the report noted that there have been significant "increases" in child labor violations, chronic school absenteeism, and workplace injuries involving kids.
"Many assume that children working long hours in dangerous jobs [are] a thing of the distant past in the United States. Unfortunately, they're wrong," the report read.
To prevent child labor violations, the authors suggested expanding the list of occupations that are "too hazardous" for workers under 18. Other suggestions include increasing protections for child workers in the agricultural sector, with an emphasis on those working hazardous jobs, and requiring rest breaks.
US Child Labor Violations
The report noted that injury rates involving young workers under the age of 18 nearly doubled between 2011 and 2020. Additionally, all child labor violations increased by at least four times between 2015 and 2022.
Furthermore, it was noted that lawmakers in over 30 US states made moves that only weakened child labor protections since 2021. In these decisions, legislators cited labor shortages as the common reason.
Of all industries in the US, the agriculture sector posed the highest safety risks for child workers. Child labor regulations are also the weakest in that industry, the authors said.
Project 2025
Apart from legislation from lawmakers, the report also cited Project 2025 as one of the reasons why child labor violations in the US could get worse. Known also as the 2025 Presidential Transition Project, the plan details policies that closely align with Trump's views and advocates for rolling back child labor protections.
In one provision, Project 2025 claimed "certain young adults" should be allowed to work in dangerous jobs granted that they have "parental consent and proper training."
The Trump administration has previously attempted to roll back bans on a pesticide linked to childhood brain damage. The administration also pushed to allow child workers to apply dangerous pesticides.
