The number of children and adolescents aged 5 to 13 years who are child laborers will reach 1.607 million in 2023, according to data from the National Household Sample Survey (Pnad) released this Friday (18). This number is 14.6% lower than the number recorded in 2022 (1.881 million) and is the smallest number in a series of surveys that began in 2016.
The IBGE defines child labor as work that is considered dangerous and endangers the health and mental, physical, social or moral development of children and interferes with their education. Brazilian law prohibits children up to the age of 13 from working under any conditions.
Teenagers aged 14 and 15 can only work as apprentices. Those aged 16 and 17 years can have formal work, but as long as it does not involve unhealthy, dangerous activities or at night. Any situation that deviates from these regulations is considered child labor.
According to IBGE, from 2016 to 2019, the number of child laborers showed a decline every year, from 2.112 million in the first year to 1.758 million in 2019.
After two years of not conducting research due to the Covid-19 pandemic, IBGE found that in 2022, this indicator will increase for the first time (7% compared to 2019).
IBGE researcher Gustavo Fontes said the pandemic may have influenced the increase, but without data for 2020 and 2021, it is difficult to make a correlation between the Covid-19 pandemic and the worsening data in 2022.
In 2023, the data improves again due to factors such as improving household income.
“2023 is very favorable for the job market. There has been a notable increase in per capita household income. There was also a significant increase in average income and the number of households covered by Bolsa Família. “This could also impact public policies aimed at eliminating child labor,” said Fontes.
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The percentage of children and adolescents aged 5 to 17 years who are in child labor represents 4.2% of the total number of people in that age group. In 2022, the share will reach 4.9%.
The number of children aged 5 to 13 years who are child workers will be 346 thousand in 2023, while children aged 14 and 15 years will reach 366 thousand. The largest contingent is teenagers aged 16 and 17 years (895 thousand).
According to IBGE, the incidence of child labor increases with age: by 2023 1.3% of children aged 5 to 13 are working; 6.2% faced this situation in the 14 and 15 age group; and 14.6% among 16 and 17 year olds.
Of the total number of children and teenagers involved in child labor, 1.182 million of them are involved in economic activities, namely to generate income. The remaining 425 thousand people work only for their own consumption, namely the production of goods for use by household residents or their non-resident relatives, such as raising livestock, fishing and agriculture.
The Northern Region has the highest proportion of child and adolescent workers (6.9%), followed by the Central West Region (4.6%) and the North East Region (4.5%). The Southeast (3.3%) and South (3.7%) have the lowest proportions.
In absolute terms, the North East region has the largest number of child laborers (506 thousand). The Southern region had the lowest figure (193 thousand) and also showed the largest decline compared to 2022 (-28.8%).
Dangerous work
The IBGE survey also found that, of the 1.607 million children and adolescents who were in situations of child labor, 586 thousand carried out activities that risked their health and safety. Data shows a decrease of 22.5% compared to 2022 (756 thousand)
This indicator also reached its lowest level in a series of activities that began in 2016. Activities listed on the List of the Worst Forms of Child Labor, known as the TIP List, are considered risky, based on Decree 6,481/2008.
Among victims in this situation last year, 84 thousand were between 5 and 13 years old and 153 thousand were between 14 and 15 years old. Another 349 thousand are aged 16 and 17 years. According to IBGE, the majority are men (76.4%) and black or mixed race (67.5%).
In 2023, hazardous work is carried out by 65.7% of children aged 5 to 13 who engage in economic activities and by 55.7% of adolescents aged 14 and 15 who engage in this kind of activity. Among those aged 16 and 17, the percentage was 34.1%.
Time spent
According to Pnad, 20.6% of children and adolescents involved in child labor experience this situation for 40 hours or more per week. The highest percentage is in the oldest age group (16 and 17 years): 31.1%.
Among the younger generation aged 14 and 15 years, this figure reached 14.1% and among the youngest generation (5 to 13 years old) the figure reached 0.4%.
Among children aged 5 to 13, IBGE found that child labor did not affect school attendance, as those who engaged in this type of activity had an attendance rate of 99.6%, higher than the average for this population (99%) .
“But we observe that, with age, there is a greater commitment to attending school”, explains Fontes.
The study found that the school attendance rate among 14 and 15 year olds in child labor situations was 94% (compared with 98.3% of the general population in this range), and among those aged 16 and 17, this figure fell to 81.8 % (compared to 90% age group average).
Gender and race
Pnad data also shows that by 2023 child labor will impact children and adolescents differently, depending on their gender, skin color or race.
As many as 65.2% of child workers are black or brown, a percentage that exceeds the percentage of those groups of color or race in the country’s total population aged 5 to 17 (59.3%).
As many as 63.8% of child workers are male, while their proportion in the total population of this age group is only 51.2%.
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Some of the children and teenagers who are child laborers work in the field of trade and vehicle repair (26.7%) or in the fields of agriculture, animal husbandry, forestry production, fisheries and aquaculture (21.6%).
The average monthly income of children and adolescents involved in child labor is R$771, below the average of workers in this age group who are not in this situation (R$1,074). For those in hazardous child labor, the average income is even lower (R$735).
Differences in gender, skin color or race are also found among those in child labor situations. While the rent for whites is R$875, for black and brown people it is R$707 for boys, the average is R$815, above the R$695 received by girls.
Of the total number of children and adolescents aged 5 to 17 years, 3.7% carry out economic activities (1.427 million). Among children and adolescents living in households that benefit from the Bolsa Família income support program, the prevalence is slightly lower: 3.4% of them (or 466 thousand) engage in economic activity.
Regarding household tasks, children and adolescents who work in economic activities are more involved in these tasks (75.5%) than those who do not work (51.7%).
Working in economic activities does not free children and young people from household chores. In fact, the proportion of those who do household work is higher among those who work (75.5%) than those who do not carry out economic activities (51.7%).
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