Generally speaking, work by young persons (under 18 years of age) in mines and factories is not allowed. The latter statute, amended periodically, remains the primary federal law dealing with the employment of children. Although the 1906 legislation was not adopted, it led to extended study of the conditions under which children were employed or allowed to work and to a series of legislative proposals-some approved, others defeated or overturned by the courts-culminating in the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of 1938. At the same time, some processes and equipment have rendered the workplace more advanced and dangerous, especially for children and youth.Ĭhild labor first became a federal legislative issue at least as far back as 1906 with the introduction of the Beveridge proposal for regulation of the types of work in which children might be engaged. In some respects, altered workplace technology has served to make work easier and less hazardous. So have the benefits and risks associated with employment of children.
Through the years, however, child labor practices have changed. Historically, except for the privileged few, most children worked-either for their parents or for an outside employer. It dates back to the founding of the United States. The history of child labor in America is long and, in some cases, unsavory.
