US media: The illegal employment of child labor in the United States is on the rise, with children working unpaid until early morning in departments | Child labor | US
Pictures of child labor released by the US Department of Labor.
According to media reports such as CNN on July 31st, in recent years, the illegal employment of child labor in the United States has surged, with some children even working unpaid until early morning.
CNN stated that the labor shortage in the United States has made it difficult for employers to find suitable people to fill job vacancies, especially in low paying jobs. This has prompted some well-known American companies and brands to choose to hire children and make them engage in difficult work under dangerous conditions.
![US media: The illegal employment of child labor in the United States is on the rise, with children working unpaid until early morning in departments | Child labor | US](https://a5qu.com/upload/images/1c029ef3caca3211c9e7a5a82b4e257b.jpg)
The US Department of Labor reported that in 16 McDonald's restaurants in Louisiana and Texas, they found 14-year-old children operating hazardous equipment and working late at night. At a McDonald's in Louisville, Kentucky, there are even two 10-year-old children working unpaid until 2am, responsible for preparing and serving meals, cleaning the restaurant, and so on. A large food safety and hygiene service provider in the United States has also been found to hire 31 children aged between 13 and 17.
The US Department of Labor announced at the end of July that from October 1, 2022 to July 20, 2023, the department closed a total of 765 cases of illegal child labor and found 4474 children being illegally employed. Compared to the same period before, the number of children illegally employed in the United States increased by 44%. At present, relevant departments are still investigating over 700 pending cases of child labor.