The Biden administration is ramping up its efforts to stop companies using child labor in dangerous and exploitative ways.
On Thursday, the Department of Labor announced it would take more measures to crack down on illegal child labor nationally, including heightening enforcement of child labor laws through new tactics and partnering with other agencies and foreign governments. This comes after recent investigations into major companies caught employing children for more hours than the legal limit, making minors perform illegal tasks, or hiring children under the legal age minimum.
"Child labor is an issue that gets to the heart of who we are as a country and who we want to be," acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su said in a statement. "Like the President, we believe that any child working in a dangerous or hazardous environment is one child too many."
According to the department's Wage and Hour Division, escalated enforcement of child labor laws resulted in a 44% increase in children found employed in violation of federal law between October 1, 2022, and July 20, 2023. This was coupled with an 87% rise in penalties such as fines over the same period.
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