In the United States, the shadow of child labor stretches across industrial plants and assembly lines, as revealed by recent investigations conducted by the Department of Labor, DOL. The latest case involves about 12 children working night shifts at the Seaboard Triumph Foods plant in Sioux Falls, Iowa.
Other young workers, employed by Qvest, an Oklahoma based sanitation contractor, reportedly worked under extreme conditions, using corrosive cleaning agents on hazardous machinery.
Between 2019 and 2023, these minors were tasked with sanitizing equipment such as band saws and head splitters, tools notoriously associated with a high risk of injury. Michael Lazzeri, a regional administrator at the DOL, pointed out that changes in management failed to put an end to these violations. According to the department’s data, over 4,000 violations of labor laws involving young workers were identified across the nation during the 2024 fiscal year.
The deeply rooted issue now affects an increasing number of facilities and companies. In Virginia, another investigation revealed that Fayette Janitorial Services had hired several minors to work at Perdue Farms facilities, where a 14-year-old boy was seriously injured.
Even in states across the Midwest and South, from sawmills in Wisconsin to factories in Alabama, investigators continue to uncover cases of children illegally employed in dangerous jobs. A recurring practice also involves the employment of unaccompanied migrant children, who arrive in America seeking safety and a better future, only to be exploited in grueling jobs.
Companies involved in such practices often face only modest penalties. Qvest, for instance, was fined $171,919 in civil penalties, a minimal amount compared to the severity of the accusations.
Despite the efforts of the DOL and certain states like Massachusetts, which recently fined several restaurant chains for employing minors beyond legal limits, abuses persist. Experts continue to call for stricter measures and more effective monitoring systems to prevent the exploitation of the most vulnerable.
