U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division
Labor Department enforcement arm; cited 44,857 child-labor violations in a decade, then let its child-labor task force lapse
The Wage and Hour Division (WHD) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Labor, established in 1938 with the Fair Labor Standards Act (signed 25 June 1938, effective 24 October 1938). Its stated mission is to promote compliance with labor standards, and it enforces laws including the FLSA (minimum wage, overtime, recordkeeping and child labor), the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Davis-Bacon Act and the Service Contract Act. USAspending data show WHD obligated $318.6 million in fiscal 2025. GAO reported (GAO-26-107722, September 2026) that WHD found 44,857 child labor violations in 8,688 cases from fiscal 2015 through 2025, and that the department discontinued its interagency child-labor task force in 2025. A separate GAO report (GAO-25-106389, November 2024) found WHD concluded 2,857 H-2A employer investigations in fiscal 2018-2023, 84% of which found violations affecting 66,819 workers. The Department of Labor stated that WHD investigations led to a nearly $3.8 million judgment against a California poultry processor and a consent agreement with an Iowa sanitation contractor over children employed overnight.
● confirmed by a primary document · ○ reported
● confirmed by a primary document · ○ reported
Figures
1 source
- USAspending.gov agency sub-components FY2025DocumentAPI JSON, fiscal_year 2025
{"name":"Wage and Hour Division","id":"wage-and-hour-division","total_obligations":318596215.14,"total_outlays":317466015.75,"total_budgetary_resources":340635741.44}
1 source
- U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO-25-106389)Document
From FY 2018 through FY 2023, WHD assessed over $25 million in H-2A civil money penalties, according to our analysis of WHD data.
1 source
- U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO-25-106389)Document
From FY 2018 through FY 2023, WHD assessed over $20 million in H-2A back wages, according to our analysis of WHD data.
1 source
- GAO-26-107722 (Child labor enforcement)Document
Although DOL works with other agencies to protect children, it discontinued its interagency task force in 2025.
1 source
- U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO-25-106389)Document
From FY 2018 through FY 2023, WHD concluded 2,857 investigations of H-2A employers. Eighty-four percent (2,392) of investigations found one or more H-2A violations, accounting for a total of 69,294 H-2A violations affecting 66,819 workers (see fig. 7).
1 source
- GAO-26-107722 (Child labor enforcement)Document
From fiscal year 2015 through fiscal year 2025, WHD found 44,857 violations of child labor laws resulting from 8,688 cases, according to our analysis of WHD enforcement data.