Exploitative child labor and denied accountability: a look at 2023
2023 was marked by the alarming resurgence of child labor, signaling a troubling rise of exploitative practices and casting a shadow over the U.S.’s commitment to safeguarding vulnerable populations.
The disturbing reports
The Week summarizes a couple major findings from some reports of the year.
The Washington Post reported:
“The Labor Department reported in October that it had found 5,792 minors who had been put to work in violation of child labor laws in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30. That was an 88% jump since 2019, and the highest level in nearly two decades.”
CNN reported:
“The Department of Labor concluded cases involving 4,474 children employed in violation of federal child labor laws between Oct. 1, 2022, and July 20, 2023, a 44% increase from the year before. The department imposed more than $6.6 million in penalties, up 87% from the previous year.”