Child labor violations in the United States have risen sharply over the past decade, even as lawmakers in several states move to weaken protections for young workers. According to federal data, violations increased fivefold—from 1,012 cases in 2015 to 5,272 in 2025. Hazardous work violations have also more than doubled.
Investigations reveal the scale—and severity—of the problem. Authorities found more than 100 children working excessive hours at McDonald’s franchises in Pennsylvania, while two 10-year-olds were discovered working in Kentucky. In the meatpacking industry, children as young as 13 cleaned dangerous machinery like head splitters and neck clippers using corrosive chemicals. Some suffered severe injuries, including a 14-year-old hurt at a poultry plant, while in another case, a 16-year-old died after becoming trapped in a sawmill machine.
Despite this, state-level efforts to roll back protections are accelerating. Just this year, Republican-led legislatures in Nebraska, Indiana, and West Virginia have passed new laws reducing safeguards, while similar proposals advance in other states.
A coordinated push to weaken protections
Policy experts warn these state-level changes form part of a broader strategy. Speaking to The Guardian, Nina Mast of the Economic Policy Institute said:
They don’t just want to weaken state standards. They also have this broader goal of eroding the federal standards and the weakening of the state standards is a stepping stone toward that goal.
If federal protections weaken, the consequences could be severe. It means there would be nothing in place to protect minors from hazardous work, exploitation and abuse. Experts state that the push aligns with proposals outlined in Project 2025, a conservative policy blueprint that calls for scaling back federal labor regulations. Since 2021, lawmakers in 30 states have introduced bills to weaken child labor laws, with 17 states successfully enacting rollbacks.
In Nebraska, a new law lowers the minimum age for younger teens and introduces a subminimum “training wage” for older youth. Advocates warn that the policy devalues young workers and increases their vulnerability. Nebraska state senator, Megan Hunt, told the Guardian,
This bill only rolls back the minimum wage approved by Nebraska voters, it creates a completely new exploitation wage for young workers.
Meanwhile, in Indiana, lawmakers eliminated systems to track youth employment, extended working hours, and removed requirements for mandatory rest breaks.
Creating a cheaper, more vulnerable youth workforce
West Virginia has gone even further. A new law removes the state’s list of hazardous occupations for minors, effectively allowing teenagers to take on jobs previously deemed unsafe. Seth DiStefano of the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy told The Guardian.
It constitutes probably the most significant child labor law rollback that I’ve ever seen. What they’re after is cheap labor… This, in essence, is a cheap labor bill.
At the federal level, enforcement has weakened significantly. Workplace inspections and wage enforcement cases have dropped sharply in recent years, even as violations increase. This gap between rising exploitation and declining oversight raises serious concerns. Without strong enforcement, laws alone cannot protect children from unsafe or exploitative work.
Urgent call to action or risk modern slavery
These rollbacks do more than weaken protections—they actively create a workforce that is cheaper, easier to exploit, and harder to protect. By lowering wages, removing oversight, and limiting accountability, these laws make it easier for companies to benefit from underpaid and vulnerable child workers while avoiding scrutiny. This is not accidental—it is a structural shift that prioritizes profit over protection. Without strong safeguards, children face increasing risks of coercion, hazardous work, and abuse—conditions that closely mirror the dynamics of modern slavery already documented in industries like meatpacking and fast food.
Take action to demand an end to the rollback of child labor law protections across the US.
Freedom United is interested in hearing from our community and welcomes relevant, informed comments, advice, and insights that advance the conversation around our campaigns and advocacy. We value inclusivity and respect within our community. To be approved, your comments should be civil.