Youth workers under the age of 18 experience a higher rate of injuries, both fatal and nonfatal than adult workers. Federal child labor laws encourage but do not require employers to file working certificates or work permits for minors as a means of restricting work hours and protecting youths from working in illegal or hazardous occupations. Currently 41 states and the District of Columbia, including North Carolina, currently require youths to obtain work permits. South Carolina is among the 9 states without a work permit system. The effectiveness of the work permit system has not been evaluated. This cross-sectional study will use school-based surveys administered to students in 16 schools from four North Carolina counties and 16 schools in four South Carolina counties to assess how youth work experiences differ between those who have been issued work permits and those who have not.
The aim i s to survey 4612 students divided evenly between the two states. The study will address the following research questions to assess the implementation of the work permit system in NC and compare its effectiveness to a state with no such system, SC, with respect to teen paid employment in hazardous illegal occupations. Results will be used to develop policy recommendations applicable to all states. 1) In a state that requires work permits (North Carolina), what proportion of youth workers (age 14-17 years) are actually issued permits? a. In NC, which, if any, of the following factors: urban versus rural residence, socio-demographic variables, type of job, and employer characteristics (family ownership and size of business) are associated with the issuance of work permits in NC? b. In NC, how do work experiences of youth workers who have been issued work permits differ from those who have not with respect to: working in hazardous and illegal occupations, performing hazardous or illegal tasks, having little or no safety training, or receiving no information on child labor laws? 2) How do work experiences of youth workers in a state with a work permit system, NC, compare with work experiences of similarly employed youth workers in a state without a work permit system, SC, with respect to: working in hazardous and illegal occupations, performing hazardous and illegal tasks, receiving safety training, and being informed of child labor laws?
