 What is child labor  What are some countries child labor occurs in  What companies employ children to work in their factories  The effects of child labor on the worlds economy  What causes child labor  Conclusion

 Child labor occurs around the world in health hazardous factories that are owned by many well-known U.S companies.

 There is no way to give a concrete definition of child labor because the term “child labor” has many definitions depending on who your are talking to  The International labor Organization defines child labor as “some types of work” done by children under the age of 18 that is dangerous to their health and prevents them from getting any form of education  There are approximately 250 million children employed in the world  They are paid less than sixteen cents an hour

 Child labor occurs in countries such as Africa, China, Russia, and Indonesia.  Africa is most affected by child labor. It is estimated that of the 250 million children world wide about 32% work in Africa. Most children work in agriculture in the cocoa fields

 In China it is estimated that of the 10 million children out of school over 5 million work in factories  In Russia laws are very specific. The code prohibits employment of any children under the age of 16 and anyone under the age of 18 cannot fill any position that would require working nights or overtime.

 In Indonesia child labor is a growing problem.  Children are forced to work on Jermals, which are large fishing boats.  The working conditions are dirty and very un- safe.  At night the children are forced to sleep in dirty rusty shacks

 Companies accused of employing children in their factories include Disney, Nike, Wal- Mart, and Mattel.  Disney is one of the worst offenders.  More than half of the assembly plants in Haiti that the company owns were violating the country’s minimum wage laws.  Sexual harassment is very common in the factories and if an employee speaks up about the horrible working conditions they are automatically fired.

 Nike has been employing children for many years.  They attempted to stop using child labor and admitted they “messed up” but claimed ending the practice would be very difficult.

 Wal-mart has factories in China ad Nicaragua  The children are forced to work 10 hours a day seven days a week for less than twelve cents an hour.

 The effects of child labor on the economy are not evident now but will be much more evident later.  There will be many more adults joining the workforce in countries where child labor is most common  These adults will have previously been child laborers who were not educated so the positions that require an educated background will not be filled and the economy will fail because of it

 Children may be forced to work because the jobs for their parents are scarce therefore the child is forced to work in order to make money for the family  Employers do not have to pay as much for children, they are easy to exploit, and they don’t complain as much as adults do.  Another cause is dysfunctional parents who waste their money on drugs, alcohol, and gambling and therefore causes the children to be forced to work.

 Child labor is an unethical issue that happens in many countries and is used by many well-known companies in the United States.  Approximately 250 million children in the world are employed.  Child labor has been around for many years and will continue to be a growing market if high-end companies in the United States keep using the factories to produce their goods.