Youth Employment in the United States: a Guide

The United States of America has Child Labor Laws that are very specific about when and where children may work. America is one of few countries that incorporate Child Labor Laws. Parents with children wanting and willing to join the work force should familiarize themselves with these laws to ensure their children are treated within the law by employers.

In 1852, Philadelphia required children to attend a job. Congress tried to pass laws protecting children in the work force, but it took the Great Depression to end Child Labor. Adults had become so desperate for jobs that they would work for the same wage as children. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Fair Labor Standards Act, which placed limits on many forms of child labor.

Monitoring agency of child labor laws:

The Department of Labor is the federal agency that monitors child labor and enforcement is regulated by the Wage and Hour Division of the Department. National laws are followed by the State laws and any questions can be answered by the State Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. The Department seeks to promote positive and safe work experiences for young workers.

Hourly regulations for child labor:

The FLSA regulates the number of hours and times of work for children under 16. Hours worked by 14 and 15 year-olds are limited to:

Non-school hours
3 hours in a school day
18 hours in a school week
8 hours on a non-school day
40 hours on a non-school week

Hours between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., except summer hours are extended to 9 p.m.

Age requirements for child labor:

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) sets 14 years of age as the minimum age for employment, and limits the number of hours worked by minors under the age of 15.

When a child is 13 or younger........

You can deliver newspapers
You can work as a baby-sitter
You can work as an actor or performer in motion pictures, television, theater or radio
You can work in a business solely owned or operated by your parents
You can work on a farm owned or operated by your parents (Specific laws regulate agricultural work. Check with local laws)

Parents are prohibited from employing their children in manufacturing, mining, or any other occupation declared hazardous by the Secretary of Labor.

When a child is 14............

You can work in an:

Office
Grocery Store
Retail Store
Restaurant
Movie theater
Baseball park
Amusement park
Gasoline service station

You may not work in:

Communications or public utilities jobs
Construction or repair jobs
Driving a motor vehicle or helping a driver
Manufacturing and mining occupations
Power driven machinery or hoisting apparatus other than typical office machines
Processing occupations
Public messenger jobs
Transporting of persons or property
Workrooms where products are manufactured, mined or processed
Warehousing and storage

When a child is 16...............

You can work in any job or occupation that has not been declared hazardous by the Secretary of Labor.

Hazardous work for child labor:

Child labor may not by used in the following occupations:

Manufacturing and storing of explosives
Driving a motor vehicle and being an outside helper on a motor vehicle
Coal mining
Logging and saw milling
Power-driven woodworking machines
Exposure to radioactive substances
Power-driven hoisting apparatus
Power-driven metal forming, punching and shearing machines
Mining, other than coal
Meat packing or processing
Power-driven bakery machines
Power-driven paper product machines
Manufacturing brick, tile, and related products
Power-driven circular saws, band saws and shears
Wrecking, demolition and ship breaking operations
Roofing operations and all work on or about a roof
Excavation operations

When a child is 18............

At 18 years of age, an individual no longer falls under the FLSA regulations.

Conclusion:

Parents should check with the local and state regulations concerning child labor before their child applies for employment. State laws vary and certificates may be required. Agricultural Child Labor Laws are complex and have different requirements.