World Day Against Child Labour in United States ― Date, History, and Details
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History of World Day Against Child Labour in United States and How to Celebrate/ Observe It
The World Day Against Child Labour is an annual event that takes place on June 12th. It was created by the International Labour Organization in 2002 in order to raise awareness and action against child labour worldwide. Every year, the World Day Against Child Labour focuses on a different theme related to child labour. This year’s theme is “Generation Safe & Healthy: Stop Child Labour Now”.
In the United States, child labour laws vary from state to state. However, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) establishes national minimum standards for wages and hours worked. Under the FLSA, children under the age of 16 cannot be employed in most jobs. There are some exceptions to this rule, such as jobs that are considered to be part of a child’s education or training, or jobs that are not considered to be hazardous.
According to the most recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were approximately 1.7 million children ages 16 and younger employed in the United States in 2016. This is down from a peak of 5.2 million in 1979. The majority of these child labourers are employed in the service sector, with jobs such as babysitting, food service, and retail.
While the overall trend is positive, there are still far too many children working in dangerous and unhealthy conditions. In 2016, there were 17,000 workplace injuries reported among children ages 16 and younger. And, according to UNICEF, there are still 168 million children around the world who are engaged in child labour.
On this World Day Against Child Labour, let’s commit to doing our part to ensure that all children are safe and healthy at work.