Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor

"The Department of Labor's annual Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor focuses on the efforts of certain U.S. trade beneficiary countries and territories to eliminate the worst forms of child labor through legislation, enforcement mechanisms, policies and social programs. Read More ››

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The Report presents:

• Findings on the prevalence and sectoral distribution of the worst forms of child labor in each country.
• Country-specific suggestions for government action (since 2009).
• Individual country assessments that identify where Significant, Moderate, Minimal, or No Advancement has been made (since 2011).

The Report serves as a resource to foreign governments, NGOs, academics and policymakers working on labor and human rights issues. It helps inform Congress and Executive Branch agencies that formulate labor and trade policy and is an important resource for the Department in assessing future technical assistance and research priorities as it seeks to combat child labor around the world.

The Department's Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) has published the Findings each year since 2002, as mandated by the Trade and Development Act of 2000 (TDA). The TDA requires that countries fulfill commitments to eliminate the worst forms of child labor to be eligible for certain U.S. trade preference programs. It also requires the U.S. Secretary of Labor to issue annual findings on beneficiary country initiatives to implement these commitments..."
Child Labor 

Labor Rights Week: 3 Ways to Get Involved

"During Labor Rights Week 2023, Aug. 28-Sept. 1, we’re getting the word out that ALL workers in the United States have the same right to a safe and healthy workplace and a just day’s pay, as well as the right to report violations of labor laws without fear of retaliation. And these worker protections apply to everyone, regardless of immigration status. 

Too often, workers endure abuses at work for fear that if they speak up, they could be fired or even deported. These threats to workers’ rights are unacceptable, and they also make it more difficult for us to enforce the law, because the Department of Labor relies on workers coming forward. 

Held during the week leading up to Labor Day, Labor Rights Week is when we join with the Mexican Embassy and its 52 consulates, other foreign embassies, community and faith-based organizations, and federal and state government partners to promote fundamental labor rights. We are grateful for these partnerships with organizations that have the trust of the workers we seek to serve. 

In addition to participating in local outreach and education events, here are three ways you can take action:

1. Learn about workers’ rights. Knowledge is power and workers who know their rights are empowered workers. We have many resources for workers. As someone who has advocated for workers my entire career, one of my top priorities has been to make these resources more accessible, understandable, and easy to use—and available in multiple languages. A good starting point is dol.gov/LaborRightsWeek. At worker.gov, you will also find information organized from the perspective of workers, with a Spanish language option for the entire website and additional languages being added soon. For any questions or help with rights at work, including how to file a complaint, call us at 1-866-487-2365. We provide assistance in many languages. 
2. Download our Labor Rights Week social media toolkit. From being paid on time to staying safe in the heat, our messages in English and Spanish inform and educate workers about critical workplace protections. 
3. Find out if we have collected wages for you or someone you know. One of the Department of Labor’s fundamental roles is to combat wage theft. If we investigate a workplace and find that workers have not been paid all the wages they are owed, we can recover those wages. In many cases, we get those wages into workers’ hands as soon as we recover them, but sometimes, we must find the workers first. We hold that money for three years while we try to locate workers. After three years, we are required to send the money to the U.S. Treasury. Search Workers Owed Wages — available in English and Spanish — to see if you or someone you know has wages we collected.

Here at the Department of Labor, we’re committed to ensuring that workers understand their rights and that employers understand their responsibilities. Too many workers endure dangerous or unfair conditions, or are afraid to speak up for fear of losing their jobs or being deported. And too many aren’t aware of their rights because their employer failed to provide that information in a language they understand, even though it’s required by law that they do so.."
Labor Rights 

Combating Human Trafficking in China

"Imagine a worker whose employer has canceled his passport, relocated him to a detention camp and forced him to work for little to no pay making gloves. This worker endures strict limits on his freedom of movement and communication, constant surveillance, isolation, retribution for his religious beliefs, exclusion from the community and social life, and threats to his family members. He is also enrolled in a Communist Party indoctrination program. The gloves he makes are shipped for sale all around the world to unwitting consumers.

Now stop imagining. This is a reality.

The Chinese Communist Party continues to carry out a campaign of repression in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, targeting Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and members of other ethnic or religious – mostly Muslim – minority groups. Specific abuses include arbitrary mass detentions, forced labor and other labor abuses, oppressive surveillance, religious persecution, and other infringements on the rights of those groups in Xinjiang and across China.

The U.S. Department of Labor has reason to believe at least 100,000 and possibly hundreds of thousands of Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs, and other ethnic and religious minorities are being subjected to forced labor following detention in reeducation camps. Poor workers from rural areas may also experience coercion without detention under the guise of “poverty alleviation.”

Uyghurs work in factories in the supply chains of dozens of global brands in the technology, clothing and automotive sectors.

As we observe National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month and National Human Trafficking Awareness Day on Jan. 11, the conditions in Xinjiang are a stark reminder of the realities faced by the 25 million forced laborers the world over.

In September, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) released its List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor, which featured the addition of 25 goods, including 13 goods produced by forced labor. Five of these goods – gloves, hair products, textiles, thread/yarn and tomato products – were made by Uyghur and other ethnic or religious minorities in state-sponsored forced labor in China..."
Human trafficking and China 

12 Stats About Working Women

"Women are Integral to Today’s Workforce

• There are 74.6 million women in the civilian labor force.
• Almost 47 percent of U.S. workers are women.
• More than 39 percent of women work in occupations where women make up at least three-quarters of the workforce.
• Women own close to 10 million businesses, accounting for $1.4 trillion in receipts.
• Female veterans tend to continue their service in the labor force: About 3 out of 10 serve their country as government workers...."

Women and Work

Working in Workplace Safety

"Ensuring safe and healthy workplaces is a top priority of the Labor Department. It’s also a smart career path for people interested in making sure offices, factories, mines and other workplaces are safe from hazards and adhere to regulations concerning health, safety and the environment.

The median wages for all of these jobs are also higher than the median wage for all occupations ($36,200). Here’s a closer look at nine options (chart text available below):..."
Workplace safety

U.S. Census Bureau Releases Key Statistics for Labor Day

"The first observance of Labor Day was likely on Sept. 5, 1882, when some 10,000 workers assembled in New York City for a parade. That celebration inspired similar events across the country, and by 1894 more than half the states were observing a “workingmen’s holiday” on one day or another. Later that year, with Congress passing legislation and President Grover Cleveland signing the bill on June 29, the first Monday in September was designated “Labor Day.” This national holiday is a creation of the labor movement in the late 19th century — and pays tribute to the social and economic achievements of American workers. .."
Labor Day

Labor Secretary announces bulletin on preventing green tobacco sickness quote context: http://pllqt.it/sMF6ob

"Dehydration, dizziness, headaches and vomiting are just a  few of the symptoms of nicotine poisoning, also known as "green tobacco  sickness." Workers who plant, cultivate and harvest tobacco are particularly at  risk. U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez today announced the release of a recommended practices  bulletin with guidance on reducing the  hazards for tobacco workers.
In recent years, the tobacco industry has undertaken  voluntary efforts to curtail child labor in tobacco farming and increase  protections for young workers. The department has collaborated also with state  agencies, growers, farmers, manufacturers and others to increase education,  training and protections for tobacco workers.
"The best way to protect people from on-the-job hazards is  to prevent those hazards in the first place, and this bulletin outlines  commonsense steps to reduce nicotine exposure and prevent heat illness," said  Secretary Perez. "It's important that we continue to work with a wide array of  stakeholders in order to find solutions that protect all workers."
..."
Green tobacco poisoning

Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor

"The Department of Labor's annual Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor focuses on the efforts of certain U.S. trade beneficiary countries and territories to eliminate the worst forms of child labor through legislation, enforcement mechanisms, policies and social programs..."
Child labor

Labor Day: 2014

 "The first observance of Labor Day was likely on Sept. 5, 1882, when some 10,000 workers assembled in New York City for a parade. That celebration inspired similar events across the country, and by 1894 more than half the states were observing a "working men's holiday" on one day or another. Later that year, with Congress passing legislation and President Grover Cleveland signing the bill on June 29, the first Monday in September was designated "Labor Day." This national holiday is a creation of the labor movement in the late 19th century and pays tribute to the social and economic achievements of American workers..."
Labor Day -2014

Books that Shaped Work in America

"In honor of its Centennial in 2013, DOL, in partnership with the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, is developing a list of Books that Shaped Work in America. To get started, we've asked members of the DOL family, as well as many other esteemed individuals, for suggestions. That includes you! Suggest a book to add to the list..."
Books shaped work

The Asian American Labor Force in Recovery
"Asian-Americans and Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are a growing share of the United States labor market. They are also a diverse population who identify their ethnicity as Asian Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese and several other ethnicities. Aggregate numbers show that the Asian-American community as a whole exhibits better labor market outcomes than other racial groups, but the aggregate measurements veil the wide variations within this highly diverse group. Numbers broken down by gender, by age and by country of origin, illustrate that there exists significant disparity within those who identify their race as Asian . These numbers demonstrate that some Asian-Americans face greater challenges and therefore need more attention and assistance than the aggregate data suggest..."

US Department of Labor announces stiffer penalties for illegal employment of children
"The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the implementation of tougher penalties against employers that illegally employ child workers.

"Protecting our youngest workers is one of this department's top priorities. Beginning today, employers who hire children too young to work will face stiffer penalties," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "Work is not child's play. When children do work, that work must be age appropriate, safe and positive, and, it must not interfere with their schooling."

Under the Labor Department's new, tougher penalty structure, employers who illegally employ individuals ages 12 or 13 will face a penalty of at least $6,000 per violation. If a worker is under 12 years of age and illegally employed, the penalty will be at least $8,000. Penalties for illegally employing workers under age 14 could be raised to $11,000 under certain conditions.
"These increased fines, coupled with important recent revisions to the child labor rules and reinvigorated enforcement by the Wage and Hour Division, will help ensure the safety of children," added Secretary Solis.

The federal Fair Labor Standards Act establishes rules governing child labor. Key provisions prohibit the employment of individuals under age 18 in hazardous nonagricultural occupations. Individuals under age 16 may work only limited hours outside of school hours. Additionally, 14- and 15-year-olds may not work before 7 a.m. or later than 7 p.m. (9 p.m. from June 1 through Labor Day). There are additional restrictions on the types of jobs and hours 14- and 15-year-olds may work..."

US Department of Labor announces stiffer penalties for illegal employment of children
"The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the implementation of tougher penalties against employers that illegally employ child workers.
"Protecting our youngest workers is one of this department's top priorities. Beginning today, employers who hire children too young to work will face stiffer penalties," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "Work is not child's play. When children do work, that work must be age appropriate, safe and positive, and, it must not interfere with their schooling."

Under the Labor Department's new, tougher penalty structure, employers who illegally employ individuals ages 12 or 13 will face a penalty of at least $6,000 per violation. If a worker is under 12 years of age and illegally employed, the penalty will be at least $8,000. Penalties for illegally employing workers under age 14 could be raised to $11,000 under certain conditions.

"These increased fines, coupled with important recent revisions to the child labor rules and reinvigorated enforcement by the Wage and Hour Division, will help ensure the safety of children," added Secretary Solis.

The federal Fair Labor Standards Act establishes rules governing child labor. Key provisions prohibit the employment of individuals under age 18 in hazardous nonagricultural occupations. Individuals under age 16 may work only limited hours outside of school hours. Additionally, 14- and 15-year-olds may not work before 7 a.m. or later than 7 p.m. (9 p.m. from June 1 through Labor Day). There are additional restrictions on the types of jobs and hours 14- and 15-year-olds may work..."

US Labor Department releases report on green jobs training initiatives
" This Earth Day, the U.S. Department of Labor is turning green jobs into golden opportunities safely by working with its community, labor and industry partners to prepare the workforce for high growth fields while building a greener planet. The Labor Department today released a report to demonstrate the programs being supported to promote green job growth. Additionally, the department is launching a campaign called "Turning Green to Gold, Safely" to collect stories from the public about how contributions have been made to green job creation. Entries will be submitted online at http://www.dol.gov over the next year and they will be featured in a best practices guide on Earth Day 2011.

"A changing job market and the evolving clean energy economy are creating new and exciting prospects for workers. At the U.S. Department of Labor, we will continue our efforts to ensure men and women across the nation have the tools they need to access these opportunities," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "Turning green to gold — with a constant focus on safety — just makes sense. It means jobs that have livable wages, safe working conditions and worker protections."

Over the past year, the Department of Labor has launched a series of initiatives to support and promote green job creation. Highlights from today's report appear below. To view the full report, visit http://www.dol.gov/dol/green/earthday_reportA.pdf.

US Labor Department releases state-by-state figures on number of Americans who stand to lose unemployment benefits without congressional extension of program
"The U.S. Department of Labor today released state-by-state figures on the number of individuals who will lose their unemployment benefits in the coming days if Congress fails to extend unemployment insurance benefits.

If Emergency Unemployment Compensation and full federal funding for the Extended Benefit program are not extended, 400,000 Americans will lose unemployment benefits during the first weeks in March. By May, nearly 3 million people could be left without these benefits. Furthermore, if the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act subsidy under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is not extended, thousands of families will lose access to affordable health care.

If the extension is not approved, an estimated 500,000 workers who lose their jobs will be ineligible for subsidies to cover the cost of health care over this month. Over the rest of 2010, an estimated 5 million workers will be ineligible for the Recovery Act COBRA subsidy that covers 65 percent of the cost of coverage. Without this assistance, many of these families will be forced to join the ranks of the uninsured..."

The History of Labor Day
"Labor Day: How it Came About; What it Means
Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

Founder of Labor Day
More than 100 years after the first Labor Day observance, there is still some doubt as to who first proposed the holiday for workers.
Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold."
But Peter McGuire's place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J., proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. What is clear is that the Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and picnic..."

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS IN THE UNITED STATES, MARCH 2009
"While about 70 percent of workers in private industry had access to employer provided medical care benefits in March 2009, only 25 percent of the lowest wage earners – those with average hourly wages in the lowest 10 percent of all private industry wages – had such access, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. By contrast, nearly all workers with hourly wages in the highest 10 percent of all private industry wages had access to medical care benefits. (See table 2.) A worker with access to medical care benefits is defined as having an employer-provided medical plan available for use, regardless of the worker’s decision to enroll or participate in the plan. These data are from the National Compensation Survey (NCS), which provides comprehensive measures of occupation earnings, compensation cost trends, and incidence and provisions of employee benefit plans. Farm and private household workers, the self-employed,
and Federal government workers are excluded from the survey..."

U.S. Department of Labor initiative aids employment of veterans with traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder
"The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a new online resource to help employers in their employment of veterans with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), two increasingly common battlefield conditions. The new America's Heroes at Work Web site (www.AmericasHeroesAtWork.gov) provides information about TBI and PTSD as well as tools and guidance on how to implement workplace accommodations and other services that benefit affected individuals. In addition, the Web site includes the toll-free phone number of the Job Accommodation Network, which employers can call to receive personal assistance relating to job accommodations for veterans with disabilities."