Child Labour Protections Under Attack in the United States
Those of us who follow the labour beat closely are accustomed to bad news. But I doubt even keen observers were fully prepared for the shocking wave of regressive state-level legislation proposed or enacted over the past year or so in the United States. Across the country, state legislatures are gutting child labour protections and making it easier for companies to employ youth — mostly immigrant youth — in extremely dangerous jobs.
A new report from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) found that the employment of children in violation of federal child labour laws has increased by 37 per cent in the last year and 283 per cent over 2015, while at least 10 states have introduced or passed legislation rolling back state-level child labour protections in the past two years.
This year alone, seven bills weakening child labour protections have been introduced across six Midwestern states. In one of the most provocative and dangerous cases, Arkansas’ HB1410 removes the requirement that employers verify that children seeking employment are at least 16 years old or have parental consent to work. A spokesperson for governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Donald Trump’s former press secretary, described age verification requirements as “burdensome and obsolete.”
In June, Iowa passed a sweeping rewrite of the state’s child labour legislation. The bill, SF 167: allows employers to hire teens as young as 14 to work in hazardous jobs; extends maximum working hours, including for night work; waives restrictions on employing 16 and 17 year olds in a long list of dangerous jobs, such as construction, demolition, and excavation; and allows teens as young as 16 to serve alcohol in restaurants. Most shockingly, the law limits state agencies from imposing fines or penalties on employers who violate the law and exempts bosses from liability when young workers are injured or killed on the job, so long as the youth is engaged in so-called “work-based learning.”
In Nebraska, lawmakers have moved to lower wage rates for young workers. In 2022, voters passed a state ballot measure to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2026. The new bill would see 14 to 17 year olds paid a sub-minimum wage of $9 per hour, rising to $10 in 2026. If passed, the law would also allow employers to pay 18 to 20-year-old workers a “training wage” of $9.25 per hour through 2024 going up to $10 per hour in 2026, and permanently set this rate at 75 per cent of the minimum wage as of 2027.
According to the EPI, a network of industry-funded, right-leaning political associations have engaged in a concerted lobbying and pressure campaign with the aim of attacking and gutting child labour laws across the U.S. The report’s authors write: “Across the country, the primary proponents of these laws are business groups and their state affiliates, particularly the National Federation of Independent Business, the Chamber of Commerce, and the National Restaurant Association.”
However, in some states organized labour and young workers have fought back. In Virginia, HB 1669 would have created a $9 youth sub-minimum wage, cutting the pay of workers under 18 years of age by $3 per hour. In response, young workers organized through the Coalition for Virginia’s Future, a multi-issue, youth-led organization, and managed to stop the bill.
Proponents of relaxing child labour protections cite overburdensome regulation and expanding “opportunities” for young workers as their primary legislative motivations. The
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
-
SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
- Target 8.7: Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labor, end modern slavery and human trafficking, and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor
- Indicator 8.7.1: Proportion and number of children aged 5-17 years engaged in child labor, by sex and age group
-
SDG 4: Quality Education
- Target 4.4: By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs, and entrepreneurship
- Indicator 4.4.1: Proportion of youth and adults with information and communications technology (ICT) skills, by type of skill
Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth | Target 8.7: Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labor, end modern slavery and human trafficking, and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor | Indicator 8.7.1: Proportion and number of children aged 5-17 years engaged in child labor, by sex and age group |
| SDG 4: Quality Education | Target 4.4: By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs, and entrepreneurship | Indicator 4.4.1: Proportion of youth and adults with information and communications technology (ICT) skills, by type of skill |
Analysis
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
The issues highlighted in the article are connected to SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth and SDG 4: Quality Education.
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
The specific targets identified based on the article’s content are:
- Target 8.7: Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labor, end modern slavery and human trafficking, and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor
- Target 4.4: By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs, and entrepreneurship
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
The article mentions an indicator that can be used to measure progress towards Target 8.7:
- Indicator 8.7.1: Proportion and number of children aged 5-17 years engaged in child labor, by sex and age group
4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators” to present the findings from analyzing the article. In this table, list the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), their corresponding targets, and the specific indicators identified in the article.
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth | Target 8.7: Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labor, end modern slavery and human trafficking, and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor | Indicator 8.7.1: Proportion and number of children aged 5-17 years engaged in child labor, by sex and age group |
| SDG 4: Quality Education | Target 4.4: By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs, and entrepreneurship | Indicator 4.4.1: Proportion of youth and adults with information and communications technology (ICT) skills, by type of skill |
Behold! This splendid article springs forth from the wellspring of knowledge, shaped by a wondrous proprietary AI technology that delved into a vast ocean of data, illuminating the path towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Remember that all rights are reserved by SDG Investors LLC, empowering us to champion progress together.
Source: readthemaple.com
Join us, as fellow seekers of change, on a transformative journey at https://sdgtalks.ai/welcome, where you can become a member and actively contribute to shaping a brighter future.
