Though it may seem a barbaric practice of the past, child labor is still alive and well in the U.S. and around the world, and international efforts to stop abuses of child labor by 2016 are moving slowly.
The U.S. Labor Department this week released a report that found 134 products in 17 countries that may have ties to child or forced labor. Major companies like Chuck E. Cheese have been fined for allegedly violating child labor laws, and popular products, including Hershey chocolate bars, have been accused of having ties to child labor. Thanks to opposition from big agriculture, the White House recently scrapped rules proposed last year that would have prevented minors from performing certain agricultural tasks.
Child labor has long been a part of economic life. In U.S. history, as the Industrial Revolution moved the workplace from farm to factory, employers often preferred child workers because they were less likely to strike and were usually cheaper, according to the Child Labor Public Education Project. Child labor was such a prominent part of factory life that in 1938 the federal government was forced to pass a law to set age minimums and hour limits.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this slideshow incorrectly identified the year of one of the photos. They are all from 1911.
Below, photos of child labor from 1911 offer a look back and a reminder of conditions that persist today:
