Presentation By: Chelsie Hall December 19, 2011

Child labor is work that harms children or keeps them from attending school. Around the world and in the U. S., growing gaps between rich and poor in recent decades have forced millions of young children out of school and into work. The International Labor Organization estimates that 215 million children between the ages of 5 and 17 currently work under conditions that are considered illegal, hazardous, or extremely exploitative.

Although children had been servants and apprentices throughout most of human history, child labor reached new extremes during the Industrial Revolution. Children often worked long hours in dangerous factory conditions for very little money. Children were useful as laborers because their size allowed them to move in small spaces in factories or mines where adults couldn't fit, children were easier to manage and control and perhaps most importantly, children could be paid less than adults.

Child laborers often worked to help support their families, but were forced to forgo an education. Nineteenth century reformers and labor organizers sought to restrict child labor and improve working conditions, but it took a market crash to finally sway public opinion. During the Great Depression, Americans wanted all available jobs to go to adults rather than children. In 1900, 18 percent of all American workers were under the age of labor#the-fight-to-end-child-labor labor#the-fight-to-end-child-labor

Child labor is a very complicated development issue, effecting human society all over the world. It is a matter of concern that children are not receiving the education and leisure which is important for their growing years, because they are sucked into commercial and laborious activities. According to the statistics given by ILO and other official agencies 73 million children between 10 to 14 years of age re employed in economic activities all over the world. The figure translates into 13.2 of all children between 10 to 14 being subjected to child labor.

Child labor is most rampant in Asia with 44.6 million or 13% percent of its children doing commercial work followed by Africa at 23.6 million or 26.3% which is the highest rate and Latin America at 5.1 million that is 9.8%. In India 14.4 % children between 10 and 14 years of age are employed in child labor. In Bangladesh 30.1%, in China 11.6%,in Pakistan 17.7%, in Turkey 24%, in Cote D’lvoire 20.5%, in Egypt 11.2%, in Kenya 41.3%, in Nigeria 25.8%, in Senegal 31.4%, in Argentina 4.5%, in Brazil 16.1%, in Mexico 6.7%, in Italy 0.4% and in Portugal 1.8%.

The International Labor Organization (ILO) launched the World Day Against Child Labor in 2002 to focus attention on the global extent of child labor and the action and efforts needed to eliminate it. Each year on 12 June, the World Day brings together governments, employers and workers organizations, civil society, as well as millions of people from around the world to highlight the plight of child laborers and what can be done to help them.

On October 31, 2011, The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division has published a notice to extend the comment period on the notice of proposed rulemaking to revise the child labor regulations for young workers employed in agriculture.notice to extend the comment periodnotice of proposed rulemaking The Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division published a Final Rule designed to protect working children from hazards in the workplace while also recognizing the value of safe work to children and their families. The Final Rule contains the most ambitious and far-reaching revisions to the child labor regulations in the last thirty years and marks another step forward in the Department’s ongoing effort to promote positive, safe work experiences for young workers. The provisions of the Final Rule will become effective on July 19, 2010.Final Rule

The statistics for child labor has gone done throughout the years. The percentages for each country for the amount of children working has decreased. I think the percentage will continue to drop.

America is decreasing the most, whereas there are other countries who are far behind. Children in India and Africa are still struggling with their education because they are spending their time working. They need all the hands they can get to do work for areas there. The children become very strong and I think that within a couple years that the number of the child labor there will continue to rise because of all the work that needs to be done.

I feel that due to the poverty rate going up so fast that there the child labor rate is continue to rise. Many people are going to have to help out to make the rate going down. They have to work and help out their family to keep them out of the poverty percentile. Therefore, my prediction for the future with child labor is that it will continue to rise in some places and decrease in areas that are finding older people to do the work the children were having to do.

Child labor around the world is an issue that this world has dealt with for many, many years. Some countries around the world have not changed their child labor laws and others are decreasing the amount of child labor they have. Nowadays there is children that want to work and make money and there are kids working that are not even getting paid. Overall child labor was very awful back then and it is starting to get better over the years.