Entering the workforce at a young age has benefits: Working as a teenager (ages 16-18) predicts high-quality jobs and higher wages as an adult. Quality work experience at a young age improves mental and physical health in the long term and reduces the likelihood of young people becoming involved in the criminal justice system.
But young people can only benefit from employment if they are working in a safe, age-appropriate environment.
Kentucky and the nation have seen a significant increase in child labor violations. The U.S. has seen an 88% increase in child labor violations since 2019, and Kentucky has seen an increase from 73 child labor violations between 2015-2018 to 948 between 2019-2022.
Last year, the state drew national attention after a McDonald’s in central Kentucky was found to be employing children as young as 10 to work unpaid fryers until 2 a.m.
Slaughterhouses have also been fined for employing young people under the age of 16. Young people work long hours and around dangerous machinery, putting them at risk of falling behind in school and suffering serious injury or even death.
The causes of child labour are manifold, including poverty, labour shortages and limited childcare options, but one of the major factors reported to be the sharp increase in child labour is the rise in unaccompanied migrant youth. The New York Times It was investigated by the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce.
The United States is experiencing a rapid increase in the number of immigrant youth, particularly those entering the country without a parent or adult guardian. Many of these young people are fleeing poverty and violence in their home countries, but limited oversight and few legal protections in the United States make them vulnerable to labor exploitation and human trafficking.
Since fiscal year 2021, approximately 4,500 unaccompanied migrant youth have been released to guardians in Kentucky. While the federal government is responsible for ensuring migrant children have a safe environment and access to school, limited data on where these children end up and who will care for them means some children end up in the custody of potential labor traffickers. As a result, many children end up working in dangerous and illegal conditions.
Youth employment is good for Kentucky’s youth, communities and workforce, but this employment must not interfere with a child’s education or put a child’s health or safety at risk.
During the recent state legislative session, an out-of-state group promoted a bill (HB 255) that would have weakened Kentucky’s child labor laws, which are currently stricter than federal law. House Bill 255 ultimately died in the Kentucky Senate.
Given the dramatic increase in labor violations, policymakers should focus on ensuring state agencies have the resources they need to identify and investigate child labor violations, rather than weakening existing laws. At the federal level, the Biden Administration should increase oversight of migrant children released to U.S. families or sponsors to ensure these children are attending school, protected, and connected to appropriate resources.
Karena Cash is policy and research director for Kentucky Youth Advocates.
Check out CDC’s Talking Safety curriculum for young workers here.
