Catherwood LibraryILR School

Child labor in the United States has increased post-pandemic, with corporations hiring children between 14 to 15 years old to fill worker vacancies. The United States Department of Labor found approximately five thousand labor law violations in the past year, with a majority of these violations occurring in the fast food industry. In the fast food industry, thousands of child workers are required to work long hours and late night shifts, as well as operate dangerous equipment in these fast food establishments. Labor laws in the US make it illegal for companies to have child workers work more than three-hour shifts on weekdays, and companies are also not allowed to have children work past 7 pm. Many child labor violations were found at corporations that use a franchise model, such as McDonald’s and Chick-fil-A. Research data shows that companies that own all locations and are responsible for operations are much less likely to violate child labor laws.