New Jersey Department of Labor Finds Compliance with Child Labor Laws in State’s Meat Packing Industry

TRENTON – A joint strategic enforcement initiative conducted by the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (USDOL) to uncover child labor violations in the state’s meat packing industry found no violations of federal or state child labor laws. The statewide initiative included targeted investigations at nine New Jersey meat packing facilities, which represent more than 10 percent of the Garden State’s meat packing facilities. The findings of this year-long investigation underscore the effectiveness of the state’s robust labor laws and ongoing commitment to ensuring compliance and protection of all workers including those under the age of 18.

“Ensuring the safety and well-being of young workers is a top priority for the New Jersey Department of Labor, and I’m encouraged that the employers we investigated across the Garden State’s meat packing industry were in full compliance with state and federal child labor laws,” said NJDOL Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo. “These findings highlight our commitment to enforcing child labor laws and ensuring safe working conditions for some of our most vulnerable workers. We will continue to uphold these standards and promote education and awareness about worker rights and protections to New Jersey’s employers and workers.”

This initiative was launched in response to recent cases in other states where employers were not in compliance with child labor laws in the meat packing industry. These cases involved children participating in hazardous work with dangerous equipment that posed significant risks to young workers who are often less likely to file complaints with federal or state agencies.

NJDOL is committed to the ongoing monitoring and strategic enforcement of all of New Jersey’s industries to uncover illegal and unsafe work conditions to protect young workers. This includes coordination with stakeholders to enforce fair business practices and providing outreach and education for workers and industries alike to promote the critical protections needed to keep minors safe.

For more information on New Jersey’s child labor laws, visit NJDOL’s Young Workers webpage.

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