Key facts
- Over half of child work-related deaths in the US lack detailed data on cause or industry, according to a GAO report.
- An average of 24 children under 18 died annually from work-related incidents between 2013 and 2023.
- 75% of reported child worker fatalities occurred in agriculture.
- Transportation incidents caused two-thirds of reported child worker deaths.
- US Department of Labor's inter-agency collaboration on child labor has diminished since January 2025.
- Child labor violations increased from 1,012 in FY2015 to 5,272 in FY2025.
A report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released Tuesday highlights significant data deficiencies in tracking child labor deaths and violations in the US, impeding effective enforcement. The report found that between 2013 and 2023, an average of 24 children under 18 died annually due to work-related incidents. However, detailed information on the cause of death or the industry was missing for over half of the 260 recorded child fatality cases.
Among the fatalities where industry was reported, 75% occurred in agriculture. For those with a reported cause of death, two-thirds were attributed to transportation incidents. The GAO cited a lack of inter-agency coordination as a primary reason for these data collection issues, noting that the US Department of Labor's collaboration with other federal agencies to address child labor law violations has "largely diminished" since January 2025.
Data collection on child labor injuries and illnesses has also become less comparable since 2021, with several federal datasets ending. The report also indicated that between fiscal years 2015 and 2025, 59% of child labor law violations involved employers scheduling 14- and 15-year-olds for longer or later hours than permitted, with 62% of these violations occurring in the accommodation and food services industry. The labor department's wage and hour division has reportedly not fully addressed enforcement challenges.
The report was initiated by a request from Representative Bobby Scott, who stated that the data gaps and diminished agency coordination harm children and make enforcement less effective. Scott has introduced the Protecting Children Act to improve data collection and usage. The findings come amid a reported surge in child labor violations over the past decade, with 19 states relaxing child labor laws since 2021 and the number of minors employed in violation increasing from 1,012 in fiscal year 2015 to 5,272 in fiscal year 2025.