DOL Child Labor Work Strained as Violations Rose, Report Says

Federal enforcement of child labor laws faced a shortage of resources as violations spiked nationwide in 2023, the Labor Department’s internal auditor said in a new report.

The DOL’s Wage and Hour Division struggled between 2019 and 2023 to adequately investigate and penalize child labor violations due to constrained resources, language barriers, and differences in state and federal laws. The DOL’s Office of Inspector General released its findings Tuesday in an advisory report,a precursor to a more detailed audit now underway of the division’s efforts on child labor.

The division’s data showed the annual number of child labor violations ...