An employment trends expert, Rob Wilson, joined the America’s Work Force Union to discuss the growing trend of child labor law violations. Wilson also talked about the 10 states to roll back child labor protections and issues minors face in the workplace.
Over the last seven years, there have been a growing number of child labor law violations that were reported to the National Labor Relations Board. The NLRB reported that the majority of these violations involved minors aged 12 to 16 that were working on a job where they never received training. Wilson said that most of these violations resulted in the tragic death of a minor on the job.
In 2023, 10 states rolled back legislation that protected minors on the job. This occurred after the federal government attempted to add more protections for minors on the job. Several states agreed to roll back the restrictions on working hours during the school year, allowing minors to work later than before. A few states also agreed to roll back the minor-specific training requirements.
With more minors working in dangerous environments than before, Wilson believes these children deserve to be better protected, rather than losing what little protection they had. Currently, the youth federal minimum wage is $3 less than the federal minimum wage creating a pay discrepancy. This discrepancy impacts any injuries on the jobs, as with lower overall wages, you receive less money on workers' compensation claims. Wilson concluded by talking about the socioeconomic reasons minors are choosing to work in dangerous environments
Listen to the entire episode to learn more.