The Facts

Although slavery is commonly thought to be a thing of the past, modern slavery/human trafficking generates hundreds of billions of dollars in profits by trapping millions of people in horrific situations around the world, including here in the US. Using violence, threats, deception, debt bondage, and other manipulative tactics traffickers force men, women and children to provide labor or services against their will. More research is needed to fully understand the scope of modern slavery, but below are a few key statistics:

According to the latest 2022 Global Estimates by the International Labour Organization (ILO), Walk Free, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), an estimated 27.6 million people were victims of forced labour globally in 2021. This figure is often used as the closest proxy for human trafficking victims in the U.S. legal definition. The broader report estimates that a total of 50 million people were living in “modern slavery” in 2021, which includes both forced labour and forced marriage.

Some key takeaways regarding forced labor from the report:

• 27.6 million victims were in situations of forced labour. Of these, most cases (86%) were found in the private economy.
• 6.3 million people were in forced commercial sexual exploitation.
• 3.9 million people were in state-imposed forms of forced labour.
• Women and girls remain disproportionately vulnerable, especially in commercial sexual exploitation (accounting for nearly four out of five victims).
• Almost one in eight of all those in forced labour were children (3.3 million).

These estimates indicate a significant increase of 2.7 million people in forced labour since the 2016 global estimates, highlighting that the situation of modern slavery is not improving. Forced labour is a severe violation of human rights currently affecting millions of men, women, and children in all countries and all economic sectors. This form of modern slavery is rooted in poverty, discrimination, and lack of social protection, and it disrupts fair competition between businesses.

• Since 2022, the US Dept. of Labor list of goods made with forced or child labor has grown from 159 goods in 78 countries to 204 goods in 82 countries and areas. They have also added 72 new items across industries, including consumer goods, electronics, garments, textiles, and manufacturing. This expansion highlights that current efforts to address labor exploitation are not keeping pace with evolving global manufacturing trends.
• The US Dept of Labor list also increased the number of critical minerals produced by child or forced labor to 12. Many of these minerals are vital for green technologies, such as solar products and electric cars. This increase highlights the concern that meeting the global need for clean energy must also include protecting vulnerable workers, especially children.
• There is no official estimate of the total number of human trafficking victims in the U.S. because the crime is largely hidden and underreported. Various organizations provide different data based on reported cases and research estimates.

Statistics from the National Human Trafficking Hotline

• The National Human Trafficking Hotline received reports of 9,619 potential human trafficking cases referencing 16,999 potential victims in 2023.
• The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received more than 18,400 reports of possible child sex trafficking in 2023.
• The Human Trafficking Hotline has received 463,109 signals since its inception.
• The Hotline annually receives multiple reports of human trafficking cases in each of the 50 states and D.C. Read more Hotline statistics here.

What needs to be done?

Marcia Eugenio is the director of the Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor and Human Trafficking in the Bureau of International Labor Affairs. She calls for decisive action to address these persistent issues. Action which includes immediate and concerted efforts from governments and businesses. Eugenio states:

• Governments must strengthen and enforce labor laws, implement social programs addressing poverty and ensure access to quality education.
• Companies need to monitor their entire supply chains, increase transparency, collaborate with stakeholders and enforce accountability.
• Both should support workers’ rights, ensuring that workers have a voice and the power to bargain collectively for better wages and working conditions.

Human Trafficking Search underlines the urgency of the statements above and echos Eugenio’s thoughts “The complexity of global supply chains is not an excuse for inaction. Instead, it’s a call for more innovative, comprehensive and collaborative approaches to ensuring ethical labor practices worldwide.”