U.S. plans to investigate abuses about child abuse in workplaces

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Child labor is often dismissed as a problem of the past, but several recent incidents show it’s still happening in the U.S. —and the federal government says it’s on the rise.
It’s illegal to employ children in certain conditions, in dangerous jobs or for more than a specified amount of time. Research shows it can jeopardize their health and stunt their development.
The Department of Labor on Monday announced a crackdown on child labor after tracking a 69% increase in illegally employed kids since 2018.
In the last fiscal year, 835 companies employed more than 3,800 children illegally, according to Labor Department investigations.
“This isn’t a 19th Century problem, this isn’t a 20th Century problem, this is happening today that we are seeing children across the country working in conditions that they should never, ever be employed in the first place,” DOL Wage and Hour Division principal deputy administrator Jessica Looman told media on a conference call.
A variety of employers in different sectors have been caught or were accused of employing underage children in recent weeks:
Packing Sanitation Services was funded $1.5 million by the Department of Labor for allegedly supplying at least 102 workers from 13 to 17 years old to 13 meatpacking plants, including Tyson, JBS and Cargill plants.
Hyundai said last week it’s diving its stake in an Alabama metal stamping plant that’s among several suppliers under investigation for employing kids as young as 12, according to Reuters.
The company also said it’s “implementing new, more stringent workforce standards throughout its supply chain.”
Meanwhile, the New York Times reported in its Sunday print edition that it interviewed “more than 100 migrant child workers in 20 states who described jobs that were grinding them into exhaustion” and feared “they had become trapped.”
The Times reported that kids have been employed at companies including Hearthside Food Solutions, which the DOL confirmed Monday is under investigation.
The strong job market has put upward pressure on wages and made it difficult for many employers to hire adult workers, which may be causing some to consider breaking the law to keep their businesses churning.