The UN World Day Against Child Labor on June 12th focused on the release of the 2025 global estimates and trends of child labor. This is a joint report by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) that provides a comprehensive assessment of global progress toward the elimination of child labor. But in the US, educators are sounding the alarm about the child labor law rollbacks currently sweeping across the nation, reports the National Education Association (NEA). And they’re raising serious concerns about students’ well-being and education going forward.   

What happens when the safety nets are gone? 

According to the UN, the percentage of children in child labor is highest in lower-income countries. However, the actual numbers of children in labor are higher in middle-income countries. And out of the 84 million children estimated to be working in child labor, 56% of all those actually live in middle-income countries with an additional 2 million living in high-income countries like the US. Coupled with the recent child labor law rollbacks across 28 states, educators are increasingly seeing the warning signs of stress, fatigue, and burnout in students. 

Alan Yuodsnukis, a longtime educator in central Maine, a state that recently voted against the rollbacks said: 

“Employers are looking to fill entry-level, hourly positions, and young people are a convenient source of labor. A lot of [my students], given the choice, will choose paid work over academic work—it’s hard to compete with that.”  

In addition to longer work hours on school nights, the protections being removed allow entry into hazardous jobs. Jobs like working on construction sites and in poultry plants. They also allow teens to be paid subminimum wages. All of these red flags are raising serious concerns about the effects on students’ well-being and education. One educator said, “They just are too tired to come to school.” 

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