The US government on Monday announced plans to clamp down on an “alarming” surge in child labour in the country, where the number of illegally employed minors has jumped by two thirds since 2018.
The rise in illegal child labour in the US coincides with a massive influx of unaccompanied minors fleeing poverty and violence in Latin America — with 130,000 referred to US government shelters in the last fiscal year alone.
“This is not a 19th century problem, this is a today problem,” Labour Secretary Marty Walsh said in a statement, calling for a vast mobilisation of resources to tackle the problem.
“We need Congress to come to the table, we need states to come to the table.”
In the course of the last fiscal year, the Department of Labour identified 835 companies employing 3,800 children in breach of the law, and recorded a 26 per cent rise in children hired specifically for dangerous jobs.
These are “alarming trends”, a senior administration official told a media briefing.
To try to curb the rise, a joint task force by the Department of Labour and the Department of Health and Human Services — responsible for unaccompanied minors arriving in the country — will seek to improve information sharing between the two agencies.
A parallel initiative by the Labour Department will focus on better enforcement of existing laws, especially in regions and industries where offences are most widespread.
The department also vowed to hold companies accountable if contractors and temp agencies are found to be using child labour.
“Too often, companies look the other way and claim that their staffing agency, or their subcontractor or supplier is responsible,” Mr Walsh was quoted as saying.
According to existing laws, the maximum fine for breaking child labour laws is $15,138 per case.
“That's not high enough to be a deterrent for major profitable companies,” said the Labour Department statement.
In the US, children are allowed to start work at 14, with a limited number of hours for children under 16 to allow them to continue to go to school.
Certain dangerous jobs, in factories or slaughterhouses, for example, are off limits for minors.
A weekend expose by The New York Times reported on an increased presence of migrant minors, some as young as 12 years old, working in sectors across the American economy from car factories to construction sites and delivery services.
