Remedies to the problem of child labor: the situation in the apparel industry

When you realize how long the problem of child labor has been around, anyone who ventures into the terrain of remedies obviously needs a long memory and not a little optimism. What have we tried? What has worked? And what has not worked? To answer these questions, we must first look at how we have diagnosed the problem. Some say that the return of child labor is due to the present recession. Hard-pressed businesses are looking for cheap and cheaper labor. Sweatshops proliferate. When the recession recedes, so will child labor. If it were that simple, we could all congratulate ourselves on having conducted this enlightened symposium and go home without worrying much more about the problem. The magic hand of the market, in due course, will straighten it all out. Let me tell you something about the apparel industry in New York where new laws and strict enforcement make the only difference. Over 80% of OSHA inspections were triggered by the state's Apparel Task Force.