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New state laws are rolling back regulations on child labor

A Construction worker lowers their head as they direct traffic on a construction site in New York City.
A Construction worker lowers their head as they direct traffic on a construction site in New York City.

Lawmakers in Republican-led states are proposing and passing legislation to roll back child labor regulations.

In states like Iowa, Missouri, Ohio, and Arkansas, newly passed or pending laws allow companies to hire children without work permits and allow children to work longer hours under more dangerous conditions in places like construction sites, meat packing plants, and automobile factories.

Meanwhile, the Biden administration is struggling to enforce existing federal regulations on child labor.

The Department of Labor reported a 69 percent increase in the number of children, many of them undocumented migrants, employed illegally by companies since 2018.

How are child labor laws changing from state to state?

 

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Lauren Hamilton
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