About 120 million work full-time. Most of these children live in Asia, particularly in the Indian subcontinent, although the highest proportion of working children are found in sub-Saharan Africa. Working conditions in all of these occupations are often harsh, unsafe and even brutal. Most of the products made by children are for domestic consumption, but some, particularly rugs and textiles, are exported to other nations. In recent years, consumer and labour groups have made some progress in pressing companies to ensure that the goods they sell here and in other developed countries are not made by child labour.
Compliance is to be monitored by international trade union organisations.
The two major U.S. youth soccer organisations endorsed the FIFA code last year. A second initiative, the Rugmark labelling programme certifies carpets as having been made without child labour. The Rugmark Foundation, working in India and Nepal, hires ILO inspectors to validate compliance, and a surcharge applied to Rugmark-approved carpets is used to fund programmes for the rehabilitation and education of former child workers, as well as the inspection regime. These efforts, while promising, are no substitute for more sweeping measures, including a strict ban on the import of goods made by child labour, according to activists. Child labour was legally banned in this country by the Fair Labour Standards Act 60 years ago, although it can still be found on farms which use migrant workers - particularly in California and Florida.