World leaders missed their goal to end child labor across the globe. Nearly 138 million kids still work instead of going to school as planned for 2025. About 54 million face dangerous jobs that hurt their health and safety. International groups released these numbers before World Day Against Child Labour on June 12.
Farm work keeps most children busy at 61 percent of all cases. Service jobs take another 27 percent and factories claim 13 percent. Sub-Saharan Africa holds the worst record with 87 million working children. Asia and Pacific regions made good progress cutting their numbers from 5.6 percent to 3.1 percent.
Leaders from major organizations say parents need better paying jobs to keep kids in classrooms. Catherine Russell from UNICEF warns that funding cuts threaten recent gains. Gilbert Houngbo from ILO states children belong in schools rather than workplaces. Girls face more unpaid house chores that take over 21 hours each week.
Child labor numbers fell from 246 million since 2000 but experts say progress moves at a snail pace. Countries would need to work eleven times faster to meet future targets. Poor families often depend on working children just to survive each day.
Farm work keeps most children busy at 61 percent of all cases. Service jobs take another 27 percent and factories claim 13 percent. Sub-Saharan Africa holds the worst record with 87 million working children. Asia and Pacific regions made good progress cutting their numbers from 5.6 percent to 3.1 percent.
Leaders from major organizations say parents need better paying jobs to keep kids in classrooms. Catherine Russell from UNICEF warns that funding cuts threaten recent gains. Gilbert Houngbo from ILO states children belong in schools rather than workplaces. Girls face more unpaid house chores that take over 21 hours each week.
Child labor numbers fell from 246 million since 2000 but experts say progress moves at a snail pace. Countries would need to work eleven times faster to meet future targets. Poor families often depend on working children just to survive each day.
