Controversial Proposal: Loosening Child Labor Laws to Address Worker Shortage

Lawmakers in several states, largely led by Republican lawmakers, are proposing legislation to loosen child labor laws to address worker shortages, including allowing children to work in more hazardous occupations, longer hours on school nights, and serving alcohol in bars and restaurants as young as 14. Child welfare advocates worry that the measures represent a coordinated push to scale back hard-won protections for minors. The Department of Labor reported in February that child labor violations had increased by nearly 70 percent since 2018.