The Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services Announced New Efforts to Combat Exploitative Child Labor
April 20, 2023
Since 2018, the United States Department of Labor (DOL) has seen a 69 percent increase in unaccompanied children and adolescents - mainly from Latin America fleeing violence and poverty, the majority of whom are without a parent or guardian in the United States - employed illegally by companies. Last year, the DOL identified 835 companies that had employed more than 3,800 children, violating labor laws. It is worth mentioning that the highest civil fine under current law for child labor violations is only $15,138 per child.






