Child Labor Past: The worst took place in the 1800’s and early 1900’s when such industrialization was on the rise, and before laws were in effect. However, child labor in all forms has not been fully removed from society today. The most common places that children were put to work were textile factories, coal mills, farms, and other various factories. The reason that children were put to work in these environments is primarily due to machines.
Child Labor Present: The U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act, passed in 1938 and updated over the years, includes laws enacted primarily to ensure that employees under age 18 are treated fairly and safely in the workplace. In 1910 Child labor started to decline. Federal laws require that workers under age 20 be paid not less than $4.25 per hour during their first 90 consecutive calendar days of employment. After 90 days, or when the worker reaches age 20, whichever comes first, that worker must receive the federal minimum wage, which has been $7.25 per hour since 2009.
(Example)
In an article posted in October 2013 in New York Times Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo signed legislation on Monday night that would recognize fashion models under the age of 18 as child performers. Many designers will most likely be discouraged from using extremely young models in their shows because of the requirements of the law; including limits on the number of hours those models can work, as well as how late and how often they can be used. While there has been a trend in the last year of hiring more seasoned models (meaning those in their early 20s)