Trump would weaken child labor protections in second term, report warns
Source: The Guardian
Wed 16 Oct 2024 07.00 EDT
Last modified on Wed 16 Oct 2024 11.33 EDT
State governments across the US are taking steps to eliminate protections for minors as rates of child labor violations, injuries and chronic school absenteeism rise, according to a report released on Wednesday. The report by Governing for Impact, the Economic Policy Institute, and Child Labor Coalition proposes actions the Biden-Harris administration can take in response to a recent surge in child labor violations around the country and a trend of some states passing legislation that rolls back state-level child labor protections.
Its authors also warn that moves to weaken child protections will probably escalate under a second Donald Trump presidency. Injury rates among workers under the age of 18 nearly doubled from 2011 to 2020. All child labor violations almost increased by four times between 2015 and 2022, and hazard occupation violations more than doubled during the same period.
At the same time, legislators in more than 30 states have moved to weaken child labor protections since 2021, often citing claims of labor shortages and backed by industry groups in these pushes. The report noted these rollbacks at the state level have often either conflicted with federal law or sowed confusion among employers over which are applicable to them, leading to more child labor violations.
Project 2025, a conservative guide for a second Trump administration, which aligns closely with Trump’s policies and was authored and promoted by numerous former Trump officials and allies, advocates for rolling back child labor protections, the report cites.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/16/child-labor-regulations-project-2025
Link to Governing for Impact Economic Policy Institute REPORT (PDF) - https://governingforimpact.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/GFI-EPI-CLC-Child-Labor-FLSA-Report_FINAL-1.pdf
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