• A child at the computer"hard at work" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: nyki_m (Nicole Makauskas) under the Creative Commons Attribution license.
  
  

Benefits of Labor Laws

• Child labor laws protect individuals in the United States who are under the age of 18. These laws include numerous regulations that ensure that children who enter the workforce are treated fairly and not subjected to harsh work conditions. Each state is governed by child labor laws that ensure that children do not work long hours, do not receive unfair pay and are not placed in working conditions that could make them unhealthy or put them in danger.
  
  

Prohibited Occupations

• Minors under the age of 18 are prohibited from working in many occupations. Some of the most common jobs that are prohibited include working at a plant or manufacturer that stores explosives, coal mining, logging and sawmill operations, demolition and ship-breaking operations. Minors are also prohibited from working at jobs that involve driving a vehicle on a public road or highway.
  
  

Farming

• State child labor laws also apply to the agricultural industry to ensure that children who live on farms do not work excessively. When school is in session, 47 states have laws that require the child be at least 16 in order to work on a farm when school is in session. The exceptions are Illinois, Delaware and Indiana. In Illinois, during the school year, children can work on a farm if they are at least 12 years old. Indiana and Delaware have no minimum age requirements.
  
  

Night Work

• According to the U.S. Department of Labor, in many states, night work is prohibited for people under the age of 17. In most states where night work is prohibited, children are not allowed to legally work a graveyard shift (especially when school is in session). The typical graveyard shift is described as any time between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.
  
  

Children in Entertainment

• There are a percentage of children who are working full-time at a young age because they are in the entertainment business. Minors under 18 might work in the theater, music industry, television industry, motion pictures or radio. Most states regulate child entertainment careers. In some states, a special work permit is needed for a child to work in the entertainment field. Special permits can be issued by the labor commissioner and must be signed by the child's parent or guardian and employer.