Child labor deprives children of their rights to education, safety and healthy development. It exposes millions to exploitation and dangerous conditions while reinforcing poverty and inequality across generations.
In this article, we explore what child labor is, how international laws address it, and what the latest data reveals. We also examine relevant jobs, organizations working to end child labor, and opportunities to learn more.
Definitions
What does child labour mean?
Different organizations define child labor in slightly different ways, but the main considerations are the child’s age, the type and conditions of work, and its effects on health, development and education.
Work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development.
Work for which a child is too young, or work that may jeopardize a child’s health, safety or morals.
Source: United Nations
Not all work performed by children is considered child labor. Age-appropriate light work that does not harm a child’s health or development or interfere with education may be permitted under national law.
What are the main forms of child labor?
Child labor includes work that children are too young to perform or that harms their health, development or education. Its most serious manifestations can be grouped into four main forms, based on the categories established by ILO Convention No. 182.
Hazardous and Dangerous Child Labor
Hazardous child labor exposes children to physical, psychological or moral harm through dangerous environments, equipment, substances, working hours or conditions. For example, a child handling pesticides, operating machinery or carrying heavy loads on a farm is performing hazardous work.
Forced Labor and Slavery-Like Practices
This form includes forced labor, trafficking, debt bondage, slavery and the forced recruitment of children by armed groups. For example, a trafficked child who is compelled to work in a private home, threatened and prevented from leaving is experiencing forced child labor.
Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children
Commercial sexual exploitation involves using children in prostitution, pornography or sexual performances, whether through coercion, trafficking or abuse of vulnerability. For example, a child forced to perform sexual acts in exchange for money paid to an exploiter is being commercially sexually exploited.
Child Involvement in Illicit Activities
Children may be recruited or coerced into criminal activities such as producing or transporting drugs, stealing, smuggling or supporting criminal groups. For example, an adult who uses a child to carry illegal drugs across a border is involving that child in one of the worst forms of child labor.
What are the root causes of child labor?
Child labor rarely results from a single cause. It is usually driven by interconnected economic, educational, legal and social conditions. Poverty creates immediate pressure, while inaccessible schools, inadequate protections and discrimination make it more likely that children will enter or remain in work.
Poverty and Household Economic Pressure
Families without sufficient income or decent employment may depend on children to contribute money or help maintain a farm or family business. For example, after a parent loses their job or a harvest fails, a child may begin working or selling goods to help the household afford food.
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Limited Access to Quality Education
When education is unavailable, inaccessible, unaffordable, unsafe or of poor quality, children face a greater risk of entering child labour. School fees and other costs – such as uniforms, books and transportation-combined with long distances, inadequate infrastructure and shortages of qualified teachers can prevent children from attending school.
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Weak Laws and Social Protection
The risk of child labor increases when labor laws are poorly enforced and families lack access to social protection, including child benefits, unemployment assistance and emergency support during economic crises. For example, an informal workshop may employ children below the legal working age because inspections are rare, while the absence of financial assistance pressures families to rely on their children’s income.
Discrimination and Harmful Social Norms
Discrimination, marginalization and the social acceptance of child labor can place migrant, refugee, Indigenous and minority children at heightened risk. Gender norms also shape the types of work children perform: for example, a girl may leave school to undertake extensive unpaid domestic and care work because prevailing expectations prioritize household responsibilities over her education.
These are just some of the root causes and issues children are facing today.
What international laws address child labor?
International protections against child labor do not come from a single global law but from several complementary treaties and conventions. Once a country ratifies one of these instruments, becomes legally bound to implement its obligations through national laws, policies and enforcement measures.
Convention on the Rights of the Child
Article 32 of the 1989 UN Convention recognizes every child’s right to protection from economic exploitation and work that is hazardous, harmful or disruptive to education. For example, a child required to miss school and work long shifts must be protected through appropriate laws and penalties.
Protocol Against Trafficking in Persons
The 2000 UN Trafficking Protocol requires countries to prevent and criminalize human trafficking, protect victims and give particular attention to women and children. For example, recruiting or transporting a child for forced domestic labor constitutes trafficking even when violence or physical restraint was not used.
Worst Forms Convention No. 182
Adopted in 1999, this ILO convention requires immediate action against slavery, trafficking, forced recruitment, commercial sexual exploitation, illicit activities and hazardous work involving children. For example, authorities must urgently remove and protect children forced to work in dangerous mines or used to transport drugs.
Minimum Age Convention No. 138
Adopted in 1973, the ILO Minimum Age Convention requires ratifying countries to establish a minimum age for employment or work and pursue policies aimed at the effective abolition of child labor. The general minimum age should normally be at least 15 and no lower than the age at which compulsory schooling ends, while hazardous work is generally prohibited for anyone under 18.
Facts & figures: What does the latest data show?
The latest comprehensive global estimates cover 2024 and were published jointly by the ILO and UNICEF in 2025. They show meaningful long-term progress, but child labor remains widespread and the international target of eliminating it by 2025 was missed.
Following the failure to meet the 2025 target, governments, employers, workers’ organizations and civil society adopted the Marrakech Global Framework for Action Against Child Labour in February 2026. It calls for faster implementation, with particular attention to young children, agriculture, education, social protection, decent work for adults and better data and accountability.
Global Child Labor Has Declined
In 2024, an estimated 137.6 million children aged 5-17 were in child labor, representing 7.8% of children in this age group worldwide. This was 22.4 million fewer than in 2020, when 160 million children were in child labor. Compared with 2000, the number has fallen by more than 100 million.
Hazardous Work Remains Widespread
Around 54 million children were engaged in hazardous work likely to harm their health, safety or morals. They represented nearly four in every ten children in child labor. Of these children, approximately 30.8 million were aged 15-17, while 23.1 million were below age 15.
Agriculture Accounts for Most Cases
Agriculture accounts for 61% of global child labor, followed by services at 27% and industry at 13%. For example, children may work on cocoa farms, in mines, in domestic service or in manufacturing; the U.S. Department of Labor has identified 204 goods from 82 countries and areas associated with child or forced labor.
Regional Burdens Remain Deeply Unequal
Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for approximately 87 million children in child labor – nearly two-thirds of the global total – while Asia and the Pacific reduced its number from 49 million in 2020 to 28 million in 2024. Despite overall progress, the UN estimates that the rate of improvement must become 11 times faster to eliminate child labor by 2030.
What jobs address child labor?
Addressing child labor requires professionals who prevent exploitation, identify affected children, enforce laws and tackle the economic conditions that push children into work. Relevant positions exist in governments, UN agencies, NGOs, charities, schools, social services, law enforcement and private-sector supply chains.
Child Protection and Social Services
Typical roles include Child Protection Officer, Social Worker, Case Manager, Education Officer and Livelihoods Specialist. These professionals identify affected children, assess their needs and connect them with education, healthcare, psychosocial assistance and family support-for example, a case manager might help a child leave domestic labor and safely return to school.
Labor Inspection and Legal Enforcement
Labor Inspectors, Occupational Safety Inspectors, Investigators, Prosecutors and Anti-Trafficking Officers identify violations and enforce minimum-age, workplace-safety and anti-trafficking laws. For example, a labor inspector may visit a mine, remove children from hazardous work, penalize the employer and refer the children to protection services.
Policy Research and Program Management
Relevant titles include Child Labor Specialist, Policy Analyst, Program Officer, Researcher, Statistician and Monitoring and Evaluation Officer. These professionals analyze data, develop national policies and manage prevention programs – for example, a researcher might map child labor in agriculture so authorities can target inspections and social assistance.
Supply Chains and Corporate Accountability
Human Rights Due Diligence Managers, Ethical Trade Specialists, Social Auditors, Responsible Sourcing Managers and Supply Chain Analysts address child labor connected to business operations. For example, a due diligence specialist may trace subcontractors, inspect production sites and create a remediation plan when underage workers are discovered.
Related jobs from our job board
Explore the latest child and youth rights vacancies dynamically selected from the Human Rights Careers Job Board. If you are starting your career, you can also discover organizations offering paid internships in children’s rights.
Conduct Annual Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) for KOICA Project Phase III
Organizations working to end child labor
Several other international organizations work to eliminate child labor. The International Labour Organization and UNICEF support governments with research, policies and programs, while Alliance 8.7 coordinates global action toward ending child labor by 2030. Organizations such as GoodWeave International, the International Cocoa Initiative and ECPAT International address specific industries and forms of exploitation through supply-chain monitoring, community programs, advocacy and support for affected children.
Career insights
The analysis below examines currently published child and youth rights vacancies on Human Rights Careers, including professional functions, related issues and salary information where disclosed. Because many roles address intersecting concerns, vacancies may also appear under categories such as gender equality, migration, disability rights or humanitarian action. The figures provide a live snapshot of available listings rather than a comprehensive view of the global job market.
HRC INSIGHTS
Issue: Child Youth Rights · All currently published jobs
Top issues
Top functions
Organizations Hiring
Experience levels
INSIGHTS
Salary intelligence
- Mean midpoint
- USD 78,640
- Middle 50%
- USD 58,619–USD 82,947
- Observed salary bounds
- USD 44,000–USD 160,000
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