Arkansas Governor Signs Law Relaxing Child Labor Protections

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has loosened child labor laws in the state, making it easier for workplaces to employ minors without strict regulations. The new law, dubbed the Youth Hiring Act of 2023, allows workplaces to hire children under the age of 16 without obtaining permission from the Division of Labor. Previously, minors under 16 needed employment certificates that verified their age, described the work they’d do, and included parental or guardian consent. The Republican governor has attempted to spin the law as removing a “burden” from parents who are sending their children to work. The Arkansas law could only make child labor violations increase, critics have said. Andrew Collins, a Democratic state representative, slammed the bill for increasing “the risk that there will be abuses and violations of other child labor laws” by removing the need for parental consent. Since 2018, there has been a whopping 69 percent increase in the number of illegally employed children by companies, the Labor Department has found. And in the last month, more than 3,800 children were working jobs that violate federal law. “Just because there’s a shortage of workers doesn’t mean you can turn your back on almost 100 years of child labor law and start hiring kids, especially for dangerous jobs, which is what we’re seeing happen increasingly in the country,” Reid Maki, director of child labor advocacy at the National Consumers League, said.