Orange County California Employment Lawyer

Child Labor Today

Child labor is the employment of children under a certain age determined by the laws or customs in a country. For much of history, children helped with family chores and businesses. However, since the introduction of universal schooling, evolving industrialization of the workplace, and emergence of children’s rights, the practice of forcing children to work has become controversial.

Child labor is still a common practice in many countries, with young workers involved in all kinds of industries such as agriculture, mining, assisting with the parents’ business, and prostitution. According to UNICEF, about 250 million children aged 2 to 17 are employed worldwide in child labor situations. Children working in the military or as prostitutes are the most rejected forms of labor worldwide, although sweat shop work follows closely behind.

Wealthy, industrialized countries generally consider the use of children as workers to be both exploitative and inappropriate. Minimum age laws for employees exist in many countries; the United States prohibits the hiring of workers under the age of 16. However, in less wealthy and developed countries, many families rely on the addition of their children’s work to survive. Prohibiting child labor in these countries is more involved than simply banning work by people under a certain age. Short and long-term economic alternatives must be provided to help families remain self-sufficient and financially viable.

If you have experienced or learned about a child labor in the United States, contct the experienced Orange County child labor employment lawyers of Perry Smith today at 888.356.2529 to discuss your specific situation.