Child labor violations in Iowa found at 10 times the national rate in 2025

Newly released records from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) identify 108 child labor violations found in Iowa in 2025, out of 1,114 nationwide. That means Iowa accounted for 9.7% of the nation’s child labor violations, while only making up 0.95% of the population. On a population basis, in Iowa, child labor violations were found at more than 10 times the national rate (14.8 violations per 100,000 Iowa minors vs. 1.5 violations per 100,000 U.S. minors).

The federal enforcement context makes those figures even more troubling. Good Jobs First reported that the number of U.S. DOL WHD cases appearing in its Violation Tracker database during 2025 through September was 97% below the average for comparable periods since 2009. The division’s staffing had fallen to just 611 investigators — the lowest level on record. This amounts to roughly one wage-and-hour investigator for every 270,000 workers.

With federal enforcement capacity collapsing, states need stronger protections and more effective enforcement — not weaker ones.

Iowa is heading down the opposite path. In 2023, Senate File 542 extended how late and how long 14- and 15-year-olds may work, loosened restrictions on certain jobs, eliminated child labor permits and weakened employer accountability. In several areas, Iowa law is now less protective than federal law. That creates confusion for employers and leaves an understaffed federal agency carrying more responsibility for protecting Iowa children.

Weakening safeguards amid a national child labor crisis was reckless. Our leaders need to correct course. Next legislative session, Iowa lawmakers should roll back Senate File 542, restore strong child-labor protections, add meaningful penalties, and adequately fund state enforcement.

Teen jobs can provide income and valuable experience, but they should never come at the expense of a child’s safety, health or education.

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A quick note on the numbers: This blog cites the number of WHD child labor violations found in cases where findings were concluded in the 2025 calendar year. That is not the same as number of minors involved and will reflect different figures than fiscal year reports. Enforcement records also do not capture every instance of illegal child employment. They show only what investigators found. Regardless of those caveats, Iowa’s wildly disproportionate share should concern everyone responsible for protecting young workers.