Kruse's study, which began with 1970s figures, shows the number of illegal child workers dropping until recently, but leveling off since 1995. The 1938 law set age minimums designed to ease children into the adult world of work. Children under 14 are barred from most jobs except farming. Children under 12 are banned from most farming jobs but can work on their parents' farm or on a small farm exempt from federal minimum-wage laws. Children under 18, or under 16 on farms, are barred from a list of jobs deemed hazardous.
Responsibility extends beyond the child's employer.
Under the federal law, the taint of illegal child labor clings to a product from the workplace to the final packager or distributor. So do any pickles or relish made from it. Even with such strong laws, America's youngest workers remain among us. Drive past the right farm at the right time of year, walk down the right street, and there they are. In New York City, for example, young teens in work boots wait on a busy Brooklyn boulevard, peddling their labor to construction bosses who cruise by in vans.